&:|[|^ 

^ 

/-* 


Wi, 


>^^.^ 


.11^ 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

LIBRARY 


THE  WILMER  COLLECTION 

OF  CIVIL  WAR  NOVELS 

PRESENTED  BY 

RICHARD  H.  WILMER,  JR. 


iHMs^tiigOLLECn 


Digitized  by  tine  Internet  Arciiive 

in  2010  witii  funding  from 

University  of  Nortii  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


http://www.archive.org/details/insaddle01opti 


The  Blue  and  The  Gray— Afloat 

Two  colors  cloth     Emblematic  Dies     Illustrated 
Price  per  voluiiie  $1.50 

TAKEN   BY   THE   ENEMY 
■WITHIN   THE   ENEMY'S   LINES 
ON   THE   BLOCKADE 
STAND  BY   THE    UNION 
FIGHTING   FOR   THE   RIGHT 
A  VICTORIOUS    UNION 


The  Blue  and  The  Gray— On  Land 

Two  colors  cloth     Emblematic  Dies     Illustrated 
Price  per  volume  $1.50 

BROTHER  AGAINST   BROTHER 
IN  THE   SADDLE  ,. 

A  LIEUTENANT  AT  EIGHTEEN  (In  Press) 
(Other  volumes  in  preparation) 


Any  Volume  Sold  Separately. 


Lee  and  Shepard  Publishers  Boston 


■'Be  you  uns  soldiers,  uiass'r  ? " 


Page  68. 


OHVER 


OPTlC 


IN   THE  SADDLE 


The  Blue  and  Gray  — On  Land 


IN    THE    SADDLE 


OLIVER  OPTIC 

AUTHOR  OF  "  THE  ARMY  AND  NAVY  SERIES  "  "  YOUNG  AMERICA  ABROAD  "  FIRS! 

AND  SECOND   SERIES    "  THE    BOAT-CLUB    STORIES  "    "  THE  GREAT  WESTERN 

series"    "the    WOODVILLE    stories"    "the    ONWARD    AND    UPWARD 

series"  "the    LAKE   SHORE   SERIES  "   "  THE  YACHT-CLUB  SERIES  " 

"the    RIVERDALE    stories"     "the    BOAT-BUILDER    SERIES " 

"the  blue  and  gray  navy  series"   "a  missing  mil- 
lion'" "  A  millionaire  at  sixteen  "  "  a   young 
knight-errant"  "strange  sights  abroad" 
"americans    boys    afloat "    "  the 
young  navigators  "   etc. 


BOSTON 
LEE  AND  SHEPARD  PUBLISHERS 

lO      MILK      STREET 
1895 


Copyright,  1896,  by  Lee  and  Shepard 


Jll  Rights  Reserved 


In  the  Saddle 


TO   MY   FKIEND 

WILLIAM    R.    BEATTY 

MY   COMPANION   IN   MANY    VERY   AGREEABLE   ASSOCIATIONS 

THIS    VOLUME 

IS   CORDIALLY   DEDICATED 


602664 


PREFACE 


"  In  The  Saddle  "  is  the  second  of  the  "  Blue 
and  Gray  —  On  Land."  In  the  first  volume  a 
New  Hampshire  family  was  transplanted  to  the 
southern  part  of  one  of  the  Border  States  just 
before  the  breaking  out  of  the  Great  Rebellion, 
now  happily  an  event  of  the  somewhat  distant 
past.  An  attempt  is  made  in  that  book  to  de- 
scribe the  condition  of  the  region  in  the  progress 
of  the  story ;  and  the  material  for  it  was  diligently 
looked  up  in  the  records  of  those  stormy  times, 
in  those  of  official  character  in  the  archives  of  the 
State  in  which  the  events  transpired,  as  well  as  in 
"  The  Record  of  the  Rebellion,"  Congressional 
Reports,  and  the  multitude  of  histories,  narra- 
tives, biographies,  and  miscellaneous  works  on 
the  shelves  of  public  and  private  libraries.  The 
writer  believes  his  material  statements  are  cor- 
rect, and  that  the  pictures  he  has  given  of  the  dis- 

6 


6  PREFACE 

orderly  condition  of  the  State  of  Kentucky,  espe- 
cially in  the  southern  portion,  are  not  overdrawn. 
The  story  of  the  Lyon  family  introduces  two 
branches  of  it,  both  from  the  same  Northern  local- 
ity, though,  unhappily,  not  of  the  same  way  of 
thinking  on  the  great  question  of  loyalty  to  the 
national  government  and  Secession  with  the  South. 
Plantation  life  and  manners  are  presented  to  some 
extent,  as  one  of  the  brothers  comes  into  posses- 
sion of  a  large  estate  and  half  a  hundred  slaves 
by  the  will  of  a  Kentucky  member  of  the  Lyon 
family.  The  first  volume  of  the  series  is  devoted 
to  the  "  bringing  out "  of  the  loyal  element  in  the 
county  where  the  plantation  is  located,  in  oppo- 
sition to  the  more  demonstrative  secession  or 
neutral  sentiment.  A  Union  meeting  in  a  school- 
house,  disturbed  by  the  "ruffians,"  as  they  had 
come  to  be  called,  in  which  the  loyal  citizens  vig- 
orously defend  themselves,  and  expel  the  intru- 
ders, brings  the  affairs  of  the  neighborhood  to  a 
crisis.  The  planter  is  attacked  by  a  mob,  and 
with  the  assistance  of  a  few  of  his  friends,  and  by 
arming  a  portion  of  his  negroes,  successfully  en- 
counters the  disturbers  of  the  peace.  Following 
these  stirring  events,  two  companies   of  cavalry 


PREFACE  7 

are   enlisted   by    an   autliorized   officer,    carefully- 
drilled,  and  put  in  readiness  to  take  the  field. 

In  the  present  volume  this  battalion  enters  upon 
active  service.  The  same  characters  are  presented 
in  the  uniform  of  cavalrymen,  mounted  on  the 
fine  equine  stock  of  the  plantation.  Noah  Lyon, 
the  head  of  the  family,  obtains  an  actual  military 
title,  instead  of  the  merely  complimentary  one 
given  to  him  by  his  friends  and  neighbors.  His 
two  sons.  Deck  and  Artie,  appear  in  the  front 
rank  in  the  operations  in  which  the  squadron  is 
engaged,  though  both  of  them  enter  the  service 
as  privates.  The  young  men  are  of  the  loftiest 
moral  character,  actuated  by  the  purest  and  most 
devoted  patriotism.  They  are  of  good  physique, 
in  vigorous  health,  and  do  not  seem  to  know  the 
meaning  of  the  word  fear.  If  their  individual 
exploits  seem  to  any  to  be  extravagant,  they  have 
been  more  than  paralleled  on  the  battlefield  in 
hundreds  of  instances.  Both  of  them  are  exceed- 
ingly fond  of  their  steeds ;  and  Deck,  in  the 
months  devoted  to  drill,  makes  no  insignificant 
fio-ure  as  a  horse-trainer.  His  steed,  one  of  the 
blood  stock  of  his  deceased  uncle,  is  so  intelligent 
and  so  apt  a  scholar,  that  he  enables  his  rider  to 


8  PREFACE 

achieve  some  rather  wonderful  feats  in  action. 
He  is  modest,  and,  when  praised  for  his  deeds, 
attributes  them  to  "  Ceph."  This  young  soldier 
wins  and  obtains  a  promotion  which  will  supply 
the  title  for  the  next  volume. 

In  contrast  with  the  progressive  fortunes  of  the 
loyal  brother  and  his  two  sons,  the  disloyal  one, 
who  had  become,  through  the  influence  of  his 
money  rather  than  his  ability,  the  leader  of  the 
"ruffians,"  is  again  introduced,  with  his  two  boys, 
who  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  their  father  till 
they  become  disgusted  with  their  lot. 

The  operations  of  the  loyal  battalion  of  cavalry 
are  confined  to  the  protection  of  the  bridges  on 
the  railroads,  and  to  repressing  "  partisan "  on- 
slaughts and  outrages  upon  towns  and  villages 
largely  inhabited  by  citizens  who  are  faithful  to 
the  national  government.  But  the  officers  and 
privates  are  faithful  where  loyalty  meant  vastly 
more  than  in  the  North  ;  and  their  zeal  and  ear- 
nestness in  the  discharge  of  their  duty  left  a 
stirring  record  behind  them  wherever  they  went. 

William  T.  Adams. 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I.  PAGE 

Collecting  a  Bill  by  Force  of  Arms 15 

CHAPTER  II. 
Revelations  of  a  Young  Guardsman 27 

CHAPTER  III. 
Something  about  the  Lyon  Families 39 

CHAPTER  IV. 
The  Day's  March  of  the  Squadron 52 

CHAPTER  V. 
The  Leader  of  the  Scouting-Party 64 

CHAPTER  VL 
A  Very  Obstinate  Prisoner  captured     ....      76 

CHAPTER  VII. 
Preparing  for  Active  Operations 88 

CHAPTER  VIII. 
The  Action  by  the  Railroad  Bridge 100 

CHAPTER   IX. 
An  Encounter  with  the  Enemy's  Scouts     .    .    .    112 

9 


10  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER   X.  PAGE 

The  Battle  begun  at  the  Ckoss-Eoads  ....    124 

CHAPTER  XI. 
A  Desperate  Charge  on  Both  Sides 137 

-       .            CHAPTER  XII. 
The  Young  Hero  of  the  Battle 149 

CHAPTER   XIII. 
The  Perplexing  Movements  of  the  Enemy     .    .    161 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
A  Long  Wait  for  the  Enemt 173 

CHAPTER  XV.  ^- 

The  A>tERicAN  Flag  on  the  Bridge 185 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
The  Explosion  on  the  Bridge 497 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
The  Confusion  of  the  Day  explained     ....    209 

CHAPTER   XVIII. 
Introducing  Mr.  Brown  Kipps 221 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
The  Conspiracy  on  the  Bridge 234 

CHAPTER  XX. 

The  Operations  of  the  Bridge-burners      .    .    .     246 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
A  New  Disposition  of  the  Forces >     258 


CONTENTS  11 

r 

CHAPTER   XXII.  PAGE 

A  Desperate  Deed  contemplated    ......    270 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 
The  Skirmish  ox  the  Hili,  Road 282 

CHAPTER   XXIV. 
Captain  Dingfield's  Strategy 294 

CHAPTER   XXV. 
Sundry  Flank  Movements  arranged  306 

CHAPTER   XXVI. 
The  Enemy's  Battle  with  the  Mud 318 

CHAPTER   XXVII. 
At  the  Camp-Fire  near  the  Road 330 

CHAPTER   XXVIII. 
A  Mysterious  Disappearance 342 

CHAPTER   XXIX. 
The  Riverlawn  Cavalry  changes  Base  ....    354 

CHAPTER   XXX. 
The  Magnate  of  Greeltop's  Visit 366 

CHAPTER  XXXI. 
Life  Knox  on  the  Mountain  Road 378 

CHAPTER  XXXII. 
The  Skirmish  in  the  Great  Circle 390 

CHAPTER   XXXIII. 
Captain  Stinger  the  Fike-Eater 402 


12  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XXXIV.  page 

The  Re-enfobcement  fob  Plain  Hill 414 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 

SUEBOUNDED  AND  TOTALLY  DEFEATED   426 

CHAPTER  XXXVI. 
Captain  Vinegold  of  the  Guerillas 439 


ILLUSTRATION'S 


"Be  You  Uns  Soldiers,  Mass'r?"  .     .    .    Frontisjnece. 
Illustrated  Title. 

PAGE 

*' '  Help  !  Help  ! '  shouted  the  Victim  "    .     .     .     .  18 

"  One  of  the  Texans  tumbled  from  His  Horse  "  123 

*' Sling  Carbines  !    Charge  them  !" 207 

"Halt  where  You  are,  Kipps  !" 282 

"What  are  You  Uns  doing  Here?" 317 

"The  Ruffian   seemed  to  be  as  Powerless  as 

AN  Infant  in  his  Grasp" 383 


IN  THE  SADDLE 


CHAPTER   I 

COLLECTING   A  BILL  BY   FORCE   OF   ARMS 

"  Help  !     Help  !  " 

This  call  for  assistance  came  from  a  small 
house,  poorly  constructed  by  those  who  had  little 
skill  in  the  art  of  carpentry.  It  stood  near  the 
Spring  Road,  in  a  field  of  about  ten  acres  of  land, 
under  cultivation,  though  the  rank  weeds  among 
the  useful  plants  indicated  that  it  had  been  sorely 
neglected. 

Those  familiar  with  the  locality  would  have 
recognized  it  as  the  abode  of  one  of  those  small 
farmers  found  all  over  the  country,  who  were 
struggling  to  improve  their  worldly  condition  on 
a  very  insufficient  capital.  The  house  was  hardly 
finished,  and  the  want  of  skill  was  apparent  in 
its  erection  from  sill  to  ridgepole. 

15 


16  IN    THE    SADDLE 

Swinburne  Pickford  was  the  proprietor  of  the 
dwelling  and  land.  He  worked  for  farmers,  plan- 
ters, and  mechanics,  for  any  one  who  would  give 
him  employment,  in  addition  to  his  labor  in  the 
cultivation  of  his  land;  and  with  the  sum  he  had 
been  able  to  save  from  his  wages,  he  had  bought 
the  land,  and  started  the  small  farm  on  his  own 
account.  He  had  a  wife  and  two  small  cliildren ; 
and,  as  his  time  permitted,  he  had  built  the  house 
with  his  own  hands  alone. 

The  section  of  the  State  of  Kentucky  in  which 
this  little  place  was  located  had  been  sorely  dis- 
turbed by  the  conflicts  and  outrages  of  the  two 
parties  at  the  beginning  of  the  War  of  the  Re- 
bellion, one  struggling  to  drag  the  State  out  of 
the  Union,  and  the  other  to  prevent  its  secession. 
As  in  the  other  States  of  the  South,  the  advo- 
cates of  disunion  were  more  violent  and  demon- 
strative than  the  loyal  people,  and  after  the 
bombardment  of  Fort  Sumter  appeared  to  be  in 
the  ascendant  for  this  reason. 

The  entire  South  had  been  in  a  state  of  ex- 
citement from  the  inception  of  the  presidential 
campaign  which  resulted  in  the  election  of  Abra- 
ham  Lincoln,  and   the   industries  of  this   region 


COLLECTING   A   BILL   BY  FORCE   OF   ARMS      17 

suffered  in  consequence;  and  it  looked  as  though 
Pickford's  house  would  never  be  entirely  finished. 
With  the  exception  of  the  chimney,  placed  out- 
side of  the  building,  after  the  fashion  of  the 
South,  he  had  done  all  the  work  himself.  Titus 
Lyon,  the  mason  of  the  village  of  Barcreek,  had 
done  this  portion  of  the  labor,  and  the  bill  for 
its  erection  was  still  unpaid. 

Inside  of  the  house  two  young  men,  the  older 
about  eighteen  and  the  younger  sixteen,  both 
armed  with  muskets,  had  dragged  the  proprietor 
of  the  house  to  tlie  floor.  One  of  them  had  his 
foot  on  the  chest  of  the  fallen  farmer,  and  the 
other  was  pointing  his  gun  at  liim.  Pickford  had 
evidently  endeavored  to  protect  himself  from  the 
assault  of  his  two  assailants,  who  had  got  the  bet- 
ter of  him,  and  had  only  given  up  the  battle  when 
pinned  to  the  floor  by  the  foot  of  one  of  them. 

"  Will  you  pay  the  bill  I  have  brought  to 
3'ou?"  demanded  Sandy  Lyon,  who  was  the  prin- 
cipal aggressor  in  the  assault.  "  Dr.  Falkirk  paid 
you  over  fifty  dollars  to-day,  and  you  have  got 
the  money  to  pay  the  bill,  which  has  been  stand- 
ing two  years." 

Swin  Pickford  made  no  reply  to  this  statement ; 


18  IN   THE   SADDLE 

but  just  at  that  moment  he  heard  the  clippett}'- 
clip  of  a  galloping  horse  in  the  road  in  front  of 
the  house.  With  the  foot  of  one  of  his  assaulters 
on  his  chest,  and  the  other  with  an  old  gun  in 
his  hand  at  his  side,  Pickford  realized  that  noth- 
ing could  be  done  but  submit.  Shooting  in  that 
locality  and  at  that  time  was  no  uncommon  occur- 
rence; for  there  seemed  to  be  no  law  in  the  land, 
and  men  generally  settled  their  own  grievances, 
or  submitted  to  them. 

"  Help  !  Help  !  "  shouted  the  victim  of  the  pres- 
ent outrage,  with  all  the  strength  of  his  lungs, 
which  gave  him  voice  enough  to  make  him  heard 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  distant. 

"  Shut  up  your  head  !  "  savagely  yelled  Sandy 
Lyon,  as  he  pressed  his  foot  down  with  all  his 
might  by  throwing  all  his  weight  upon  the  breast 
of  the  prostrate  farmer. 

The  sound  of  the  horse's  feet  in  the  road 
seemed  to  give  the  victim  a  new  hope,  and  he 
tried  to  shout  again.  But  Sandy  flew  at  his 
throat  like  a  wolf,  and  choked  him  into  silence. 

"  Find  a  couple  of  ropes  or  cords,  Orlj^  and 
we  will  tie  his  hands  behind  him ! "  called  Sandy 
to  his  brother. 


"  'Help  !  Help  !'  shouted  llic  viciiin.'" 


Page  18, 


COLLECTING   A   BILL  BY   FORCE   OF   ARMS      19 

The  younger  brother  hastened  to  obey  the  order. 
Finding  nothing  of  the  description  required,  he 
rushed  into  the  rear  room  of  the  house.  The 
pressure  of  the  assailant's  hands  upon  his  throat, 
and  the  hope  of  assistance  fi'om  outside,  stimu- 
lated the  victim  to  further  resistance,  for  the  gun 
in  the  hands  of  Orly  no  longer  threatened  him. 
With  a  desperate  struggle  he  threw  Sandy  over 
backwards,  and  sprang  to  his  feet.  His  perse- 
cutor picked  himself  up,  and  was  about  to  throw 
himself  upon  him  again.  Pickford,  who  was 
nearly  exhausted  by  the  struggle  and  the  chok- 
ing, rushed  to  the  open  door ;  and  as  he  was 
about  to  pass  out  he  encountered  a  young  man 
in  the  uniform  of  a  cavalryman,  with  a  sabre  dan- 
gling at  his  side,  and  a  carbine  slung  on  his  back. 

At  the  moment  when  the  cry  for  help  came 
from  the  house,  the  young  man,  mounted  on  a 
spirited  horse,  was  riding  along  the  Spring  Road. 
He  was  a  stout  fellow,  not  more  than  eighteen 
years  old,  with  a  pleasant  face,  though  a  physiog- 
nomist would  have  observed  upon  it  a  look  of 
determination,  indicating  that  he  could  not  be 
trifled  with  on  a  serious  occasion.  Neither  the 
house  nor  the  man  who  occupied  it  would  have 


20  IN   THE    SADDLE 

tempted  the  soldier  to  enter  it  for  any  other 
reason  than  the  call  that  had  just  come  from  it. 

The  cavalryman  reined  in  his  steed,  and  halted 
him  with  his  head  to  a  post  in  front  of  the  dwell- 
ing. Dismounting  in  haste,  he  threw  the  reins 
over  the  hitching-hook  and  hurried  to  the  front 
door,  just  in  time  to  encounter  Pickford  as  he  was 
rushing  out.  The  victim  of  the  outrage  was  gasp- 
ing for  breath,  and  presented  a  really  pitiable  as- 
pect to  the  young  soldier,  to  whom  he  was  not 
a  stranger,  though  they  had  met  as  enemies  and 
not  as  friends. 

"What's  the  trouble?"  asked  Deck  Lyon,  the 
cavalryman,  as  he  encountered  the  owner  of  the 
miniature  plantation. 

"  I  have  been  set  upon  and  nearly  killed  by 
your  cousins,  Sandy  and  Orly  Lyon,  and  one  of 
tliem  has  nearly  choked  me  to  death,"  gasped 
Pickford. 

"  By  my  cousins !  "  exclaimed  Deck  Lyon,  as- 
tonished at  the  reply  of  the  victim. 

"  Yes ;  both  on  'em,"  groaned  Swin,  as  he  was 
generally  called. 

"I  supposed  you  had  gone  to  the  county  town 
with  the  Home  Guards,"  added  Deck. 


COLLECTING   A   BILL   BY   FORCE   OF   ARMS      21 

"  No ;  I  never  'listed,  'cause  I  have  a  family  to 
take  care  on." 

"Come  in,  and  let  me  see  what  the  trouble  is," 
continued  Deck,  as  he  pushed  Swin  in  ahead  of 
him. 

Sandy  had  been  in  the  act  of  throwing  himself 
upon  his  victim  again,  when  he  discovered  his 
cousin  in  the  person  of  the  cavalryman.  The 
sight  of  him  caused  the  angry  young  man  to  fall 
back  ;  and  Deck  entered  the  room  just  as  Orly 
appeared  at  the  rear  door  with  a  piece  of  bedcord 
in  his  hand. 

"  Good-morning,  Sandy,"  said  Deck,  as  pleas- 
antly as  though  nothing  had  called  for  his  inter- 
ference.    "  There  seems  to  be  some  trouble  here." 

"  Trouble  enough,"  replied  Sandy  in  a  sulky 
tone. 

"Swin  Pickford  calls  for  help  as  though  you 
intended  to  murder  him,"  continued  Deck,  as  he 
looked  from  one  to  the  other  of  the  belligerents, 
and  took  in  Orly  with  the  cord  at  the  same  time. 
"  You  are  all  on  the  same  side  of  the  national 
fight,  and  you  ought  to  be  friends." 

"We  are  not  on  the  same  side,  for  Pickford  is 
a  traitor,"  answered  Sandy. 


22  IN   THE   SADDLE 

"  I'm  no  traitor  !  "  protested  Swin.  "  But  I 
should  like  to  ask  what  you  and  Orly  are,  if  I'm 
one.  I  was  willing  to  join  the  Home  Guards  for 
home  service;  but  when  they  started  to  go  inter 
the  Confederate  army,  I  took  off  my  name,  for  I 
didn't  j'in  for  no  sech  work.  But  Sandy  and 
Orly  went  off  with  the  company,  and  then  de- 
serted and  come  home.  What's  the  sense  of  them 
callin'  me  a  traitor  when  I'm  not  one,  and  they 
be." 

"  If  they  deserted,  they  did  a  sensible  thing," 
said  Deck  with  a  smile,  as  he  glanced  at  his  two 
cousins.  "  But  I  am  not  here  to  settle  any  such 
quarrel  as  this;  for  I  don't  care  how  much  yon 
ruffians  fight  among  yourselves." 

"  The  trouble  here  has  nothing  to  do  with  poli- 
tics or  the  Home  Guards,"  replied  Sandy. 

"  Nothing  at  all,  Deck,"  added  Orly. 

"  What  is  it  all  about,  then  ?  "  inquired  Deck. 
"I  came  in  because  a  cry  was  heard  from  the 
house  which  made  me  think  a  murder  was  going 
on  here." 

"  That's  jest  what  was  goin'  on  here ! "  ex- 
claimed Pickford. 

"  Nothing  of  the  sort,"  protested  Sandy.     "  Not 


COLLECTING   A   BILL   BY   FORCE   OF   ARMS      23 

a  word  has  been  said  here  about  the  army  or  the 
Home  Guards." 

"  But  your  father  has  marched  his  company 
farther  south,  to  join  General  Buckner's  army." 

"That  had  nothing  to  do  with  our  business 
here.  Swin  Pickford  owes  father  twenty-seven 
dollars  for  building  the  chimney  of  this  house, 
and  he  has  owed  it  -for  about  two  years,  and  it  is 
time  the  bill  was  paid." 

"  That's  all  so.  Deck  Lyon ;  I  don't  deny  none 
on't,"  added  Pickford,  who  had  recovered  his 
breath  and  his  temper  by  this  time.  "  But  I 
hain't  had  the  money  to  pay  the  bill.  I'm  an 
honest  man,  and  I  alius  pay  my  debts  when  I 
ken.  Times  have  been  hard  with  me  for  the  last 
two  years.  Folks  has  been  all  over  inter  politics, 
and  I  couldn't  hardly  git  money  enough  to  pay 
for  the  bread  and  butter  of  my  wife  and  children ; 
for  there  wasn't  next  to  no  work  at  all." 

"That's  a  poor  excuse  in  your  case,  Swin," 
added  Sandy. 

"  I  went  to  Cap'n  Titus  more'n  a  year  ago,  and 
talked  to  him  about  that  debt,"  continued  Pickford, 
without  heeding  the  remark  of  Sandy.  "  He  got 
heaps  of  money  out  of  his  brother's  property,  and 


24  IN   THE   SADDLE 

I  didn't  s'pose  he  needed  the  money.  I  offered 
him  five  dollars,  and  told  him  I'd  try  to  pay  him 
five  every  month.  But  he  didn't  want  me  to  do  it 
that  way,  and  told  me  I  could  ])n.j  it  all  to  once, 
when  I  had  the  money.  Then  he  wanted  me  to 
help  him  git  up  the  company,  and  I  did ;  I  hoofed 
it  all  over  the  county  for  him,  sometimes  when  I 
might  have  worked." 

"  But  he  has  got  money  now  !  "  Sand}^  broke  in. 
"  Dr.  Falkirk  paid  him  fifty  dollars  this  morning 
at  the  grocery ;  for  I  saw  him  do  it,  and  heard  him 
say  how  much  it  was." 

"I  don't  deny  that,  nuther,"  said  the  unfortu- 
nate debtor,  "  But  I  haven't  got  three  dollars 
left  of  that  money  now.  I  paid  Grunge  the 
grocer  nineteen  dollars  on't ;  for  he  knows  I'm 
an  honest  man,  and  trusted  Ine.  Then  I  paid  a 
man  that's  poorer'n  I  am  for  some  work  he  done 
on  my  place,  seven  dollars  and  a  half,  and  I  had 
to  pay  my  taxes  or  lose  my  farm." 

"  I  saw  Dr.  Falkirk  pay  him  that  money,  and 
Orly  and  I  tramped  all  the  way  over  here ;  for 
we  have  no  horses  at  home  now.  He's  got  the 
money,  and  won't  pay  tlie  bill.  Mother  wants 
the  money  very  much,"  added  Sandy. 


COLLECTING   A   BILL  BY   FORCE   OF   ARMS      25 

"She  hasn't  got  a  dollar  in  the  house,"  Orly 
put  in,  perhaps  telling  more  than  his  brother 
wished  to  have  revealed. 

"  Then  you  came  over  here  to  collect  the  bill  at 
the  muzzle  of  your  gun,"  suggested  Deck,  who 
had  seen  the  younger  brother  pick  up  his  weapon, 
which  had  fallen  on  the  floor. 

"We  meant  to  make  liim  pay,"  said  Sandy. 
"  I  believe  he  has  the  money,  and  I  meant  to 
search  the  house  till  I  found  it." 

"  You  would  have  s 'arched  till  the  last  gun 
fires,  and  you  wouldn't  found  it  then,"  protested 
the  victim,  as  he  took  an  old  wallet  from  his 
pocket,  which  was  found  to  contain  about  three 
dollars  in  silver.  "  That's  all  I've  got  in  this 
world,  and  none  in  the  next." 

"  I  don't  believe  he  has  got  any  more  money, 
Sandy,"  said  Deck  to  his  cousin,  as  he  stepped  up 
to  him,  and  spoke  to  him  in  a  low  tone. 

"I'm  willin'  to  give  him  two  dollars  outen  the 
little  I  got,  though  he  abused  me  wus'n  any  man 
ever  did  in  this  world,  and  sha'n't  in  the  next," 
interposed  Pickford. 

"  I  will  take  what  I  can  get,"  replied  Sandy,  as 
he  took  the  bill  from  his  pocket. 


26  IN   THE   SADDLE 

The  debtor  paid  him  two  dollars  in  silver ;  and 
if  liis  mother,  as  Orly  affirmed,  had  not  a  single 
dollar  in  the  house,  this  small  sum  would  be 
gladly  received  by  her.  Deck  led  the  way  out  of 
the  house,  and  his  two  cousins  followed,  just  as 
Mrs.  Pickford  and  her  two  small  children  came 
into  the  room.  The  sight  of  them  was  enough  to 
assure  the  visitors  of  the  poverty  of  the  husband 
and  father. 


EEVELATIONS   OF  A  YOUNG   GUARDSMAN      27 


CHAPTER   II 

REVELATIONS   OF   A   YOUNG   GUARDSMAN 

Dexter  Lyon  was  very  much  perplexed  by 
tlie  situation  of  his  uncle's  family  in  Barcreek ; 
for  he  owned  his  place,  which  had  cost  five 
thousand  dollars,  unencumbered;  and  about  U\o 
years  before  he  had  received  from  the  estate  of 
his  deceased  brother  twenty  thousand  dollars  in 
cash  and  stocks. 

"  Of  course  the  story  that  your  mother  had 
not  a  dollar  in  the  house  is  a  fiction,  such  as 
people  who  collect  money,  or  don't  want  to  pay  it 
out,  often  tell,"  said  the  young  cavahyman,  as  he 
Avent  to  the  post  where  he  had  secured  his  horse. 

"Fiction?  What  do  you  mean  by  that?" 
asked  Sandy  Lyon,  the  expression  on  whose  face 
was  very  sad  and  discontented. 

"You  didn't  mean  that  what  you  said  was 
true?" 

"  What  did  I  say  that  was  not  true  ?  "  inquired 


28  IN   THE   SADDLE 

Sanely,  looking  at  his  cousin  as  though  he  was 
in  doubt  whether  or  not  to  conceal  the  correct 
answer  to  the  question. 

"  Everybody  in  Barcreek  knows  that  your  father 
has  gone  to  Bowling  Green,  and  you  said  that 
your  mother  had  not  a  dollar  in  the  house,"  re- 
plied Deck,  studying  the  expression  on  the  face 
of  his  cousin.  "  You  didn't  mean  that,  did 
you?" 

Sandy  looked  at  his  cousin,  and  each  seemed 
to  be  considering  the  meaning  of  the  other's 
looks.  They  were  own  cousins,  and  their  homes 
were  not  more  than  a  mile  apart;  but  they  had 
not  met  for  three  months.  Politics,  as  the  peo- 
ple of  this  locality  generally  called  the  two  great 
questions  of  the  day.  Unionism  and  Secession, 
had  created  a  gfreat  quU  between  the  two  fami- 
lies.  Judging  from  the  threadbare  and  semi- 
miserable  condition  of  the  two  sons  of  Captain 
Titus,  times  had  gone  hardly  with  the  family. 

"  I  did  not  say  that  mother  had  not  a  dollar 
in  the  house,"  said  Sandy,  after  a  long  silence. 

"  Orly  said  so,  and  you  did  not  contradict 
him;  so  it  is  all  the  same  thing,"  added  Deck. 

"  I  did   say  so ;  and  I  said  it  because   it  was 


KEVELATIONS   OF  A  YOUNG   GUAEDSMAN      29 

just  as  true  as  Breckinridge's  long  letter,"  said 
Orly  earnestly. 

"  That  is  not  saying  much  for  the  truth  of  it," 
answered  Deck,  with  a  smile  on  his  handsome 
face;  for  he  had  the  reputation  of  being  a  good- 
looking  fellow,  especially  since  he  had  donned 
his  uniform. 

"Well,  it  is  true  as  that  the  sun  sliines  in  the 
sky,"  added  Orly;  and  there  was  an  expression 
of  disgust  on  his  face. 

"But  your  father  has  plenty  of  money,"  sug- 
gested the  young  soldier. 

"  No,  he  hasn't,"  protested  Orly. 

"You  are  talking  too  fast,  Orly,"  interposed 
Sandy  reproachfully, 

"  We  may  as  well  let  the  cat  out  of  the  bag 
first  as  last,  for  she  will  scratch  ]ier  way  out 
very  soon,"  replied  Orly.  "  Mother  will  be  glad 
enough  to  see  that  two  dollars  when  Sandy  offers 
it  to  her." 

Just  at  that  moment  the  blast  of  a  bugle,  or 
several  of  them,  was  heard  in  the  direction  of 
the  Cross  Roads,  the  way  Deck  was  going  when 
he  was  arrested  by  the  cry  for  help  from  Pick- 
ford's  house. 


30  IN   THE   SADDLE 

"  What's  that  ?  "  asked  Sandy,  as  though  he 
was  glad  to  have  the  subject  of  the  conversation 
changed,  however  it  may  have  been  with  his  more 
impulsive  brother. 

"It  must  be  my  company,  or  the  squadron  to 
which  it  belongs,"  replied  Deck  rather  indiffer- 
ently. 

"  How  many  companies  have  you,  Deck  ? " 
asked  Orly. 

"  Only  two  yet,  hardly  enough  for  a  battalion." 

"  Where  are  they  going  now  ?  " 

"Probably  they  are  out  for  drill;  and  I  must 
fall  in  as  soon  as  the  companies  come  up,"  said 
Deck,  as  he  mounted  his  horse  and  straightened 
himself  up  in  the  saddle,  as  though  he  wislied  to 
present  a  proper  appearance  before  his  cousins. 

But  the  battalion  or  squadron  was  still  at  a 
considerable  distance  from  him,  and  the  young 
cavalryman  could  not  help  looking  at  the  pinched 
faces  of  his  cousins ;  for  though  they  had  osten- 
sibly embraced  the  cause  of  Secession,  he  was 
full  of  sympathy  for  them.  They  looked  as 
though  they  had  been  poorly  fed,  if  not  half- 
starved  ;  and  when  the  time  had  come  for  them 
to  have  new  suits  of   clothes,  they  had  not  ob- 


REVELATIONS   OF  A   YOUNG   GUARDSMAN      31 

tained  them,  But  if  Captain  Titus's  family  was 
without  money,  it  could  be  only  a  temporary 
matter,  for  he  could  hardly  have  exhausted  his 
twenty  thousand  dollars  in  stocks  and  cash, 
though  it  was  well  known  that  he  had  contrib- 
uted five  thousand  dollars  for  the  purchase  of 
arms  and  ammunition  to  be  used  by  his  com- 
pany of  Home  Guards,  which  had  now  moved 
south  to  join  the   Confederate  army. 

"  As  I  said  before,  your  father  had  plenty  of 
money,"  continued  Deck,  though  he  was  not  dis- 
posed to  be  over-inquisitive. 

"  He  had  at  one  time,"  Sandy  admitted ;  and  it 
was  plain  from  his  manner  that  he  was  not  willing 
to  tell  all  he  knew  about  liis  father's  financial 
affairs. 

"  I  don't  understand  how  your  mother  should 
be  so  short  of  mone}^,  Sandy ;  but  it  is  none  of 
my  business,  and  I  won't  ask  any  more  questions," 
added  the  cavalryman,  as  he  whirled  his  restive 
horse  about.  "  I  thought  you  and  Orly  went  with 
the  company  to  Bowling  Green,  Sand3\" 

"  We  did ;  but  we  came  back  again,"  replied 
the  elder  brother.  But  there  appeared  to  be 
something  to  conceal  in  regard  to  their  return. 


32  IN   THE   SADDLE 

"  There  wasn't  any  fun  in  soldiering  without 
any  pay,  and  without  even  half  enough  to  eat, 
with  nothing  to  wear,"  added  the  plain-spoken 
younger  brother. 

"You  needn't  tell  all  you  know,  Orly,"  inter- 
posed Sandy,  with  a  frown  at  his  brother. 

"You  needn't  snap  at  me,  Sandy  ;  for  I  told  you 
before  I  had  had  enough  of  this  thing,  and  I  shall 
never  join  the  company  again,"  returned  Orly  ear- 
nestly. "  Do  you  suppose  I  can  enlist  in  one  of 
your  companies.  Deck  ?  "  ■ 

"Shut  up,  Orly ! "  exclaimed  Sandy  very  sternly. 
"  You  don't  know  what  you  are  talking  about." 

"  I'll  bet  I  know  what  I'm  talking  about,  and 
]ny  stomach  knows  too,"  retorted  Orly. 

"  Don't  make  a  fool  of  yourself !  You  don't 
mean  to  turn  traitor  to  your  father  and  the  cause, 
Orly?"  pleaded  Sandy;  but  he  appeared  to  be 
trying  to  keep  up  appearances. 

"  Hang  the  cause  !  "  exclaimed  Orly,  as  though 
he  meant  all  he  said.  "My  father  got  me  into 
the  scrape,  and  he  will  get  enough  of  it  before  he 
is  many  months  older." 

"  Use  your  reason  and  common-sense,"  coun- 
selled the  elder  brother. 


REVELATIONS   OF  A  YOUNG   GUARDSMAN      33 

"  That's  Avliat  we  just  haven't  been  using  the 
last  two  years,  and  now  I'm  going  to  use  my 
reason  and  common-sense  on  my  own  hook.  If 
3'ou  like  soldiering  without  pay  or  rations,  Sand}^, 
you  can  join  the  company  again  as  soon  as  you 
like  ;  but  when  yon  catch  me  there,  you  will  find 
a  Kentuckian  without  any  eye-teeth,"  replied  Orl}^, 
who  was  only  two  years  younger  than  his  brother, 
and -was  considered  the  brighter  boy  of  the  two; 
and  his  tones  and  his  manner  Avere  vigorous 
enough  to  indicate  that  he  meant  all  he  said. 
.  "  You  are  acting  like  a  fool  to  talk  like  that 
before  your  cousin,  Avho  is  an  abolition  soldier." 

"  Before  my  cousin !  His  father  and  himself 
'have  been  sensible  from  the  first;  and  I  only 
wonder  that  Deck  don't  quote  Scripture  to  us, 
and  gently  remind  us  that  '  the  way  of  transgres- 
sors is  hard ; '  for  he  can't  help  seeing  the  truth  of 
the  proverb  in  both  of  us." 

"I  didn't  know  that  things  had  become  particu- 
larly hard  with  you,"  said  Deck. 

"  Orly  is  as  wild  as  a  goat,  Deck.     Don't  mind 
what  he  says,"  interposed  Sandy. 

"  Or  what  Sandy  says,"  interjected  the  younger 
of  the  two. 


34  IN   THE   SADDLE 

"  Our  company  has  not  been  mustered  in  yet, 
and  of  course  we  could  not  draw  pay  or  rations," 
added  Sandy,  who  felt  called  upon  to  defend  his 
father  and  the  "  cause  "  from  the  implied  censure 
of  his  brother.  "  Father  spent  all  the  ready  money 
he  had  to  pay  for  rations  and  tents,  and  some 
other  things  the  Confederate  government  will  fur- 
nish, and  will  pay  him  back  for  all.  he  has  ex- 
pended. That  is  the  reason  why  my  mother  is  so 
short  of  money  just  now." 

"  That's  all  very  good  as  far  as  it  goes ;  but  I 
don't  believe  the  Confederate  government  has  got 
any  more  money  than  the  Bank  of  England;  and 
it  will  be  a  long  day  before  father  gets  his  money 
back.  We  were  nearly  starved  when  we  left  the  • 
company." 

"  But  we  did  not  desert,  as  some  folks  say  we 
did,"  added  Sandy,  who  was  in  favor  of  putting 
the  best  foot  forward.  "  Father  s^nt  us  home 
when  we  spoke  of  leaving,  and  he  gave  us  a  sort 
of  furlough,  in  so  many  words.  If  he  could  hear 
you  talk,  Orly,  he  would  be  ashamed  of  you." 

"  As  I  have  been  of  him  more  than  once,"  said 
the  younger  in  a  low  tone,  as  though  he  did  not 
feel  fully  justified  in  speaking  in  that  manner  of 


REVELATIONS    OF  A  YOUNG   GUAPwDSMAN      35 

his  father,  who  had  a  gross  failing,  which  had 
recently  been  gaining  upon  him. 

Sandy  heard  the  remark ;  and  he  was  disgusted, 
though  he  could  not  deny  the  justness  of  it.  He 
had  been  ashamed  of  his  father,  but  his  inborn 
pride  did  not  permit  him  to  say  so  outside  of  the 
family.  If  he  had  been  as  plain-spoken  as  his 
brother,  he  might  have  informed  Deck,  who  was 
the  only  listener  to  the  conversation,  that  the  fur- 
lough had  grown  out  of  a  quarrel  between  Captain 
Titus  and  his  older  son. 

The  captain  had  always  been  Avbat  is  known  as 
a  moderate  drinker,  but  tlie  habit  had  grown  upon 
him  after  he  went  to  Kentucky.  Some  of  the 
Home  Guard  had  been  shot  at  while  engaged  in 
foraging  among  the  farmers  for  food  in  the  out- 
skirts of  the  county-seat  where  the  company  was 
encamped,  and  it  became  a  dangerous  pursuit,  as 
even  the  commander  of  the  company  would  not 
authorize  it;  for  in  the  status  of  the  body  it  was 
nothing  but  plundering. 

Sandy  noticed  that  his  father  had  his  whiskey 
ration  in  increased  proportions,  and  he  knew  that 
it  cost  money.  He  and  Orly  were  not  half  fed, 
and  the  father  lived  on  his  favorite  beverage.     It 


86  IN   THE   SADDLE 

provoked  him  to  wrath,  and  in  a  fit  of  desperation 
he  spoke  out  to  him  as  plainly  as  Orly  could  have 
done  it.  The  quairel  followed ;  and  when  Sandy 
declared  that  he  and  his  brother  would  leave  the 
company,  he  had  driven  them  from  his  presence, 
and  ordered  them  not  to  return.  This  was  the 
furlough,  "  in  so  many  words,"  as  Sandy  put  it. 

Perhaps  the  approach  of  the  squadron  of  cav- 
alry was  a  relief  to  Sandy  Lyon,  for  it  put  an  end 
to  the  conversation  of  a  disagreeable  nature  to 
him.  He  realized  the  truth  of  nearly  all  that 
Orly  had  said  in  regard  to  the  desperate  situa- 
tion of  the  Home  Guard,  and  the  family  of  its 
commander;  but  his  pride  was  still  superior  to  the 
groans  of  his  stomach. 

"  Mother  and  the  girls  are  going  back  to  Deny 
as  soon  as  she  can  get  money  enough  to  pay  the 
bills,"  said  Orly  in  a  low  voice. 

"I  am  ashamed  of  you,  Orly  !  "  protested  Sandy, 
who  had  heard  the  remark ;  for  the  bugle  of  the 
battalion  had  ceased  its  blast  at  that  moment. 
"  You  have  no  business  to  tell  family  secrets  like 
that." 

"Confound  joiw  family  secrets  !  "  exclaimed  his 
brother.     "  I  don't  want  to  quarrel  with  you,  my 


REVELATIONS    OF  A  YOUNG    GUARDSMAN      37 

brother,  as  father  has  done  with  Uncle  Noah  ;  but 
I  am  not  in  favor  of  starving  to  death  foi-  the  ben- 
efit of  the  Southern  Confederacy.  You  have  too 
much  family  pride  when  it  don't  pay,  Sandy. 
You  said  that  our  sister  Mabel  should  not  go 
out  to  work  in  the  family  of  Dr.  Falkirk,  when 
mother  said  she  might." 

"  Dr.  Falkirk  might  have  got  a  nigger  woman  to 
do  his  housework,  instead  of  paying  double  wages 
to  Mabel,"  replied  Sandy. 

"That   is    nothing    to    do    with    the    question. 
Mabel's  wages  have  been  all  we  had  to  live  on 
since  we  got   home,"  returned  Orly,  letting   out- 
more  of   the  secrets   of  the    family  without   any 
compunction. 

"I  wish  you  would  hold  your  tongue,  Orly," 
added  Sandy  fretfully. 

"I  said  what  I  did  for  a  purpose;  but  I  shall  have 
to  stop  now,  for  the  squadron  is  nearly  here,"  re- 
plied Orly.  "  When  can  I  see  you  again.  Deck  ?  " 
"Almost  any  time  when  T  am  not  at  drill,  or 
absent  on  an  errand,  as  I  have  been  to-day.  You 
will  find  me  at  the  camp  or  the  house,"  replied 
Deck,  as  he  rode  forward  to  a  point  where  he 
could  fall  into  his  position  in  his  company. 


38  IN   THE   SADDLE 

"  Why,  there  is  Uncle  Noah  at  the  head  of  the 
column ! "  said  Sandy,  as  the  squadron  came  near 
enousfh  for  him  to  recognize  the  familiar  face  of 
his  relative,  even  in  the  midst  of  his  present  un- 
Avonted  surroundings.     "  He  looks  like  an  officer." 

"  He  is  what  people  have  been  calling  him  since 
he  came  to  Kentucky,  and  is  now  actually  Major 
Lyon,"  replied  Deck,  whom  the  boys  had  fol- 
lowed. 

"But  are  you  not  an  officer.  Deck?"  asked 
Orly. 

"  Not  at  all ;  Artie  and  I  are  high  privates. 
They  wanted  to  make  us  both  sergeants ;  but 
after  we  had  talked  with  father,  we  declined  all 
positions,"  rej^lied  Deck,  as  he  fell  into  his  place. 

It  is  time  to  give  something  of  the  history  of 
the  two  families  who  had  emigrated  to  Kentuck}^, 
the  family  secrets  of  one  of  which  had  been  so 
freely  revealed  to  Deck  by  the  young  Home 
Guardsman  wdth  Union  aspirations. 


SOMETHING  ABOUT   THE  LYON  FAMILIES      39 


CHAPTER   III 

SOMETHING  ABOUT   THE   LYON   FAMILIES 

The  town  of  Derry  in  New  Hampshire  had 
contributed  fourteen  persons  to  the  population 
of  Kentucky,  all  of  them  by  the  name  of  Lyon. 
Colonel  Duncan  Lyon  had  gone  there  as  a  young 
man,  and  had  made  a  very  handsome  fortune. 
But  he  died  at  the  age  of  fifty,  and  bequeathed 
his  property,  consisting  of  a  large  plantation, 
which  he  had  named  Riverlawn,  because  it  had 
a  delightful  lawn,  Avith  great  trees  scattered  over 
it,  though  after  the  English  fashion  with  none 
immediately  in  front  of  the  large  mansion,  to 
his  two  brothers  and  the  children  of  one  de- 
ceased ten  years  before  his  death. 

The  elder  of  the  two  living  brothers  was  Titus 
Lyon.  He  had  removed  to  his  new  home  eight 
years  before,  and  he  appeared  to  be  the  black 
sheep  of  the  fourteen  who  had  departed  from 
their  native    town.     He  was  a  mason  by  trade, 


40  IN   THE   SADDLE 

and  had  done  fairly  well  in  his  former  home  at 
his  business.  He  was  one  of  those  men  who  be- 
lieved that  fate  or  circumstances  had  misused  him, 
as  he  compared  his  worldly  condition  with  that 
of  his  eldest  brother,  who  had  departed  this  life 
leaving  a  fortune  behind  him ;  or  even  of  his  other 
brother,  who  had  always  been  a  prosperous  farmer. 

Titus  had  been  informed  by  Colonel  Lyon  that' 
there  was  an  opening  for  a  mason  in  the  village 
of  Barcreek,  near  which  he  resided,  though  he 
had  not  advised  him  to  remove  to  that  locality, 
and  was  really  opposed  to  his  coming.  His  dis- 
content with  his  condition  had  induced  him  to 
change  his  residence  to  this  far-off  section  of 
the  country,  probably  with  a  motive  which  he 
concealed  from  both  of  his  brothers.  He  had 
a  wife,  who  was  an  excellent  woman,  belonging 
to  a  very  respectable  family,  and  five  children, 
three  girls  and  two  boys,  the  latter  already  in- 
troduced. 

The  mason  did  tolerably  well  at  his  trade  in 
his  new  home  for  a  few  years,  though  it  was 
not  a  business  at  which  a  fortune  could  be  easily 
made  in  that  rural  section  of  the  country.  It 
was   not  a   prohibition    State,    which   seemed   to 


so:mething  about  the  lyon  families     41 

make  it  all  the  worse  for  the  head  of  this  family; 
for  he  had  contracted  the  habit  of  drinking  mod- 
erately when,  as  a  young  man,  he  liad  been  a 
stage-driver,  and  it  had  grown  upon  him  in  liis 
new  home. 

Titus  had  not  become  a  sot,  or  even  a  very 
heavy  drinker,  before  the  death  of  his  brother ; 
but  he  regularly  imbibed  his  whiskey,  and  to 
some  extent  his  habit  affected  his  manners  and 
his  morals.  He  had  always  appeared  to  be  ex- 
tremely devoted  to  the  colonel,  and  even-  fawned 
upon  him,  during  his  residence  in  Barcreek;  and 
he  was  always  kindly  treated  and  assisted  finan- 
cially when  he  needed  help. 

Colonel  Lyon  died  suddenly  at  the  age  of  fifty. 
He  had  never  been  married,  and  had  no  children 
to  whom  he  could  leave  his  property.  About  a 
year  before  his  decease  he  paid  a  visit  of  a  month 
to  his  brother  Noah,  the  youngest  of  the  three 
brothers,  in  his  native  town.  The  latter  was  a 
substantial  man,  who  held  a  very  respectable 
position  in  the  town ;  he  liad  been  somewhat 
distinguished  among  his  fellow-citizens,  and  had 
been  the  incumbent  of  several  town  officers. 

Noah  Lyon  was  forty  years  old  at  the  time  of 


42  IN   THE   SADDLE 

his  brother's  death,  with  a  good  woman  for  a 
wife,  who  was  in  every  sense  a  helpmate  to  her 
husband.  They  had  two  cliildren  of  their  own, 
a  boy  and  a  girl,  Dexter  and  Hope.  Cyrus,  a 
fourth  brother  of  the  Lyons,  had  lost  his  life  in 
a  freshet  in  Vermont,  where  he  had  settled  as  a 
farmer;  and  his  wife  had  perished  with  him,  leav- 
ing two  small  children,  Artemas  and  Dorcas.  He 
had  not  left  property  enough  to  pay  his  debts ; 
but  Noah  promptly  adopted  the  little  ones,  and 
for  ten  years  he  had  cared  for  and  supported 
them  as  though  they  had  been  his  own. 

Noah  had  suo-o-ested  to  Titus  that  he  should 
take  one  of  them  to  his  home,  while  he  received 
the  other  in  his  own  family ;  but  his  brother 
pleaded  the  poor  health  of  his  wife  for  not  doing 
so,  and  the  little  ones  had  reached  the  ages  of 
seventeen  and  fifteen  when  they  were  removed 
to  Kentucky.  Noah  and  his  wife  treated  them 
in  every  res]Dec^  as  their  own  children,  and  no 
one  could  have  asked  a  better  home  for  them. 
They  called  their  uncle  and  aunt  by  the  endear- 
ing names  of  father  and  mother. 

At  the  death  of  Colonel  Lyon,  the  telegraphic 
messaCTc    announcing    the    sad    event    had    been 


SOMETHING   ABOUT   THE   LYON   FAMILIES      43 

immediately  followed  by  a  letter  from  Colonel 
Cosgrove,  summoning  Noah  to  the  late  home  of 
the  deceased.  To  the  intense  disappointment  of 
Titus,  the  Riverlawn  plantation  had  been  left 
to  Noah,  with  the  fifty-one  slaves,  and  every- 
thing connected  with  the  place.  Titus  had  set 
his  heart  upon  the  possession  of  the  estate ;  for 
it  would  give  him  a  generous  support  without 
manual  labor. 

He  was  one  of  those  men  who  contrive  to  be- 
lieve in  and  expect  what  they  most  desire.  He 
had  been  his  wealthy  brother's  neighbor  for  eight 
years,  and  knew  something  about  the  estate.  For 
this  reason,  and  because  he  was  next  in  age  to 
the  deceased,  he  had  come  to  believe  that  the 
place  belonged  to  him.  The  colonel  had  other 
views;  for  he  realized  that  Titus  was  not  an  en- 
tirely reliable  person,  was  not  much  of  a  business 
man,  and  his  drinking  habit  was  continually  grow- 
ing upon  him. 

The  eldest  brother  had,  however,  endeavored  to 
make  a  fair  division  of  his  property  among  his 
nearest  of  kin.  He  had  given  some  legacies  to 
his  personal  friends,  including  his  faithful  over- 
seer, who  had  served  him  for  many  years. 


44  IN    THE    SADDLE 

Then  he  had  given  Noah  ten  thousand  doHars 
in  consideration  of  the  fact  that  he  had  supported 
the  children  of  Cyrus  for  ten  years.  To  him  also 
he  bequeathed  twenty-five  thousand  dollars  in 
tru&t  for  these  children.  He  had  left  the  same 
sum  to  Titus,  less  a  mortgage  note  given  at  the 
time  the  mason  had  purchased  his  residence  in  the 
village.  The  will  was  accompanied  by  an  inven- 
tory of  the  entire  property,  indicating  tliat  the 
colonel  had  figured  up  his  resources,  and  endeav- 
ored to  make  an  equitable  division  among  his 
legal  heirs. 

With  tlie  will  also  came  into  the  possession  of 
Noah  two  letters,  one  enclosing  the  other.  The 
open  one  directed  him  not  to  sell  any  of  the 
slaves  on  the  plantation,  and  the  other  was  not 
to  be  opened  for  five  years.  The  sum  of  money 
left  to  his  successor  on  the  plantation,  in  payment 
for  the  support  of  the  niece  and  nephew  of  the 
testator,  and  the  disposition  of  the  negroes,  were 
the  principal  grievances  of  Titus,  apparently, 
though  the  real  one  had  been  the  giving  of  the 
plantation  to  Noah.  In  some  of  his  moments, 
when  he  lii^d  rather  overcharged  himself  with 
whiskey,  he   had    furiously  assailed    his   innocent 


SOMETHING   ABOUT   THE   LYON   FAMILIES      45 

brother  for  what  the  dead  one  had  done  in  his 
wilL 

Noah  was  a  mild  and  peaceful  man  under 
ordinary  circumstances,  and  he  did  his  best  to 
preserve  intact  his  fraternal  relations  with  his 
angry  and  discontented  brother.  Some  discus- 
sion had  taken  place  between  them,  and  Titus 
was  as  unreasonable  as  a  mule.  The  subject 
rendered  him  furious,  aided  by  the  whiskey,  and 
the  difference  on  this  matter  became  a  decided 
rupture. 

Colonel  Lyon  had  sometimes  been  charged  with 
over-indulgence  to  his  negroes ;  and  it  was  true 
that  he  bad  treated  them  as  kindly  as  though 
they  had  been  hired  servants  instead  of  slaves, 
perhaps  more  so.  The  "people,"  as  they  were 
often  called  on  the  plantation,  after  the  manner 
of  a  man-of-war,  had  not  been  valued  in  the  in- 
ventory of  the  deceased  planter,  and  had  not  been 
mentioned  in  the  document,  any  more  than  the 
horses,  mules,  and  cows. 

By  this  omission  Titus  believed  that  he  had 
been  cheated  out  of  his  share  of  about  thirty 
thousand  dollars.  Noah  exhibited  the  open  letter 
of  the   colonel  to  him  :  but  this  onlv  fanned  his 


46  IN   THE    SADDLE 

wrath.  He  appeared  to  believe  that  his  deceased 
brother  had  no  rights  in  his  own  property,  all 
of  which  he  had  accumulated  himself.  He  had 
nursed  himself  into  the  conviction  that  he  was 
the  victim  of  a  gross  injustice,  and  he  had  little 
patience,  or  even  toleration,  with  his  mild-man- 
nered brother,  who  had  never  spoken  to  the  colonel 
about  his  will,  or  the  colonel  to  him. 

This  family  quarrel  owed  some  of  its  bitterness, 
on  the  part  of  Titus,  to  other  circumstances  than 
the  naked  merits  of  tlie  case,  if  there  was  a 
shadow  of  justice  in  the  charges  of  his  brother 
against  him.  Noah  had  not  a  particle  of  it  in 
his  composition ;  for  he  was  a  true  Christian,  and 
returned  good  for  evil  so  far  as  he  was  permitted 
to  do  so.  The  political  situation  in  Kentucky  had 
complicated  the  relations  of  the  brothers. 

Titus  had  belonged  to  one  party,  while  his 
brother  was  an  earnest  member  of  the  other; 
though  with  a  very  wide  difference  of  opinion, 
one  had  proved  to  be  as  patriotic  as  the  other. 
Probably  because  Noah  was  emphatically  devoted 
to  the  Union,  Titus  had  taken  the  other  side  of 
the  question  in  Kentucky,  where  all  was  excite- 
ment  and   turmoil   from   the   nomination   of   the 


SOMETHING   ABOUT   THE   LYON   FAMILIES      47 

candidates  for  the  presidency.  The  agitation  be- 
came that  of  Loyalty  and  Secession. 

The  governor  had  issued  his  prochimation  in 
favor  of  the  neutrality  of  the  State,  and  Home 
Guards  were  organized  to  enforce  it.  But  it 
never  amounted  to  anything ;  for  the  majority 
were  demonstrated  to  be  Union  men,  and  appealed 
to  the  traditions  of  the  past  as  the  first  State  to 
join  the  original  thirteen.  CajDtain  Titus  had  be- 
come the  commander  of  one  of  these  companies, 
on  his  promise  to  uniform  and  equip  his  men^ 
He  had  expended  a  considerable  portion  of  the 
money  he  had  inherited  in  the  purchase  of  arms 
and  ammunition  for  his  command,  though  he 
had  never  been  able  to  supply  his  soldiers  with 
uniforms. 

He  had  sent  to  New  York  for  an  abundant 
supply  of  weapons  and  cartridges,  including  two 
brass  field-pieces,  over  a  lumdred  breech-loading 
rifles,  and  nearly  as  many  revolvers  of  several 
sizes.  He  intended  that  his  company  should  be 
the  best  equipped  in  the  region,  and  his  newly 
acquired  wealth  made  him  very  extravagant. 
But  the  Union  forces  had  begun  to  show  them- 
selves in  the    State,,  and   the   loj-al   element  ex- 


48  DiT   THE   SADDLE 

ceeded  in  numbers  the  Secessionists ;  so  that  it 
was  necessary  for  the  commander  of  the  Home 
Guards  to  take  extraordinary  precautions  for  the 
safety  of  the  war  material  he  had  purchased. 

With  some  difficulty  he  had  moved  the  cases 
from  the  train  at  Dripping  Spring,  carted  them 
to  a  point  on  Bar  Creek,  from  which  he  had  con- 
veyed them  to  one  of  the  numerous  sink-hole 
caverns  which  abound  in  this  part  of  the  State. 
He  had  carefully  disposed  of  them,  with  the  aid 
of  his  two  sons  and  some  trusted  neighbors,  in- 
tending to  give  them  out  to  his  men  in  a  few 
days. 

An  indiscretion  on  the  part  of  his  wife  had 
given  a  hint  of  the  existence  of  the  arras  at 
Riverlawn,  which  an  exploration  of  Artie  Lyon, 
the  ado]3ted  son,  had  worked  into  tangible  evi- 
dence of  the  place  where  the  munitions  had  been 
concealed.  Noah  believed  it  was  a  duty  he  owed 
to  his  country  to  obtain  possession  of  these  arms. 
He  had  already  been  warned  by  his  brother  that 
he  was  regarded  as  an  abolitionist,  and  that  a 
mob,  consisting  mainly  of  the  Home  Guards, 
were  agitating  the  question  of  burning  his  man- 
sion and  driving  him  out  of  the  county. 


SOMETHING   ABOUT   THE   LYON   FAMILIES      49 

When  the  loss  of  the  arms  was  discovered, 
Titus  became  absolutely  furious,  and,  either  with 
or  without  sufficient  evidence,  accused  Noah  of 
stealing  the  property.  A  very  enthusiastic  Union 
meeting  was  held  at  the  Big  Bend  schoolhouse, 
and  was  attended  by  some  of  the  most  promi- 
nent citizens  of  the  county.  The  action  of  Major 
Lyon,  as  he  had  come  to  be  called  very  generally 
as  a  title  of  reepect,  in  accordance  with  a  pre- 
vailing custom,  in  securing  the  arms  was  heartily 
approved  by  the  assembly. 

That  very  night  the  ruffians  of  the  Home 
Guard,  for  such  they  were,  which  included  most 
of  the  baser  element  of  the  locality,  had  made 
an  attack  on  the  plantation  of  ]\Iajor  Lyon,  in- 
tending to  burn  and  destroy  it,  if  not,  as  was 
hinted,  to  hang  the  planter  to  one  of  the  big 
trees  on  his  lawn.  But  a  few  of  his  neighbors 
had  rallied  to  his  assistance,  and  his  negroes 
were  armed  with  the  confiscated  weapons,  and 
the  attack  was  an  utter  failure. 

Colonel  Belthorpe,  who  had  been  a  soldier  in 
his  earlier  years,  commanded  the  defenders  of 
the  estate,  and  the  mob  marched  to  his  plantation 
to  wreak   their  vengeance  upon  him  by  the  de- 


50  IK   THE    SADDLE 

struction  of  his  property;  but  tlie  same  forces 
defeated  them  there,  with  many  wounds,  and 
the  loss  of  a  few  lives. 

At  the  Union  meeting  Major  Lyon  had  pro- 
posed to  raise  a  company  of  cavahy.  He  had 
offered  to  contribute  a  considerable  number  of 
horses  for  the  service,  and  his  neighbors  had  fol- 
lowed his  example ;  and  over  a  hundred  steeds 
were  pledged.  Letters  had  been  written  to  the 
commander  of  the  Union  army  in  Kentucky,  re- 
lating to  this  project,  and  Lieutenant  Burke  Gor- 
dan  had  been  sent  to  organize  the  company;  and 
he  was  followed  later  by  several  non-commissioned 
officers  to  assist  in  the  drill.  The  ruffians  had 
made  an  attempt  to  stop  the  enlistments  at  River- 
lawn,  where  the  camp  was  located;  but  they  had 
been  beaten  off. 

The  recruiting  had  progressed  very  success- 
fully; and  instead  of  one  compan}^,  two  had  been 
organized  during  the  next  three  months.  Major 
Lyon  and  his  two  sons  had  drilled  and  studied 
the  military  art  in  the  most  determined  manner; 
for  they  were  enthusiastic  in  the  support  of  the 
government.  The  two  companies,  though  hardly 
entitled   to   the    name,    were    called   a   squadron. 


SOMETHING   ABOUT   THE   LYON   FAMILIES      51 

The  planter,  in  spite  of  his  protest,  was  made 
the  major  of  the  command;  and  he  had  become 
competent  for  the  position.  This  was  the  squad- 
ron which  marched  by  the  house  of  Swin  Pick- 
ford  while  Deck  was  talking  with  the  two  sons 
of  Titus  about  the  strait  of  the  captain's  family 
in  Barcreek  village. 


52  IN   THE   SADDLE 


CHAPTER    IV 

THE   day's   march   OF    THE   SQUADRON 

It  seemed  to  be  almost  a  miracle  that  Noah 
Lyon  had  been  transformed  into  a  soldier;  and 
those  who  had  known  him  in  the  State  of  New 
Hampshire  could  hardly  have  recognized  him.  He 
had  always  been  a  dignified,  peaceable,  and  quiet 
man — the  very  antipode  of  a  fire-eater.  At  his 
former  home  he  had  been  a  justice  of  the  peace, 
and  was  regarded  as  a  person  of  eminent  gravit}^ 

His  anger,  if  he  was  ever  stirred  by  any  such 
passion,  was  nothing  more  than  indignation.  But 
he  was  not  a  mUk-and-water  man ;  and,  gentle  as 
were  his  manners,  he  was  an  earnest  man.  He 
had  never  developed  any  military  ambition  in  his 
earlier  years,  though  he  was  sorry  he  had  not 
done  so  when  he  found  himself  on  the  very  bor- 
der of  the  Rebellion.  He  was  still  of  the  military 
age,  and  was  a  hearty  and  vigorous  man  at  forty- 
two,  when  he  was  called  into  the  service. 


THE    day's    march    OF    THE    SQUADllON        53 

He  was  an  earnest  and  determined  patriot ;  and 
nothing  but  the  need  of  the  nation  could  have 
induced  him  to  put  on  a  uniform,  and  drill  la- 
boriously for  months  in  preparation  for  his  new 
sphere.  He  belonged  to  the  class  who  were  said 
to  make  the  best  soldiers,  because  they  went  into 
the  field  as  high-toned  men,  with  whom  a  princi- 
ple was  at  stake.  Such  soldiers  had  not  been 
hurried  into  the  camp  by  the  excitement  of  the 
times,  or  by  any  motive  but  patriotic  duty. 

Sandy  and  Orly  Lyon  stood  in  front  of  Pick- 
ford's  house,  and  observed  the  approaching  col- 
umn of  cavahy ;  but  the  most  of  their  attention 
was  given  to  Uncle  Noah.  It  was  a  very  strange 
sight  for  them  to  see  him  in  the  uniform  of  a  sol- 
dier, riding  at  the  head  of  the  squadron.  These 
boys  had  drilled  and  marched  with  the  Hfome 
Guards,  and  their  father  had  military  aspirations, 
though  he  was  a  little  past  the  military  age. 
They  could  not  help  contrasting  the  appearance 
of  Major  Lyon's  command  with  that  of  Captain 
Lyon's. 

Not  all  the  Home  Guards  in  the  State  were  of 
the  character  of  the  ruffians  forming  the  company 
which  had  marched  to  Bowling  Green,  and  who 


54  IN    THE    SADDLE 

had  been  the  principal  participants  in  the  out- 
rages and  the  ruffianism  in  the  vicinity  of  Bar- 
creek.  Some  of  the  companies  were  composed 
and  officered  by  Union  men,  who  did  some  of 
the  first  fighting  in  the  State  when  the  Confeder- 
ates fortified  Cumberland  Gap  in  the  eastern  sec- 
tion. Such  as  these  wheeled  into  the  Union  army, 
while  those  of  the  Secession  stripe  promptly  joined 
the  forces  on  the  other  side. 

No  doubt  many  of  these  Home  Guards  believed 
sincerely  in  the  neutrality  policy,  which  was  ad- 
vocated by  some  of  the  best  men  in  the  State  ; 
but  it  afforded  thousands  of  ruffians  the  advan- 
tages of  an  organization  for  plunder  and  outrage. 
But  its  day  had  gone  by.  Major  Lyon  insisted 
from  the  beginning  that  it  was  a  fraud ;  and,  in 
spite  of  the  action  of  the  governor,  Kentucky  ad- 
hered to  the  Union.  It  cost  something  there  to 
be  true  to  the  old  flag,  and  the  State  deserves  all 
honor  for  the  struggle  it  made  against  the  break- 
ing up  of  the  Union. 

Major  Lyon  sat  erect  upon  his  horse,  a  valuable 
animal,  which  had  been  his  favorite  since  his 
arrival.  There  was  nothing  like  vanity  in  his 
expression,  as  might  have  been  excusable  at  the 


THE   day's   march   OF   THE   SQIJADEON        55 

head  of  such  a  fine  body  of  men;  but  he  looked 
as  he  always  did,  earnest  and  determined,  his  sol- 
dierly character  resting  more  on  his  devotion  to 
the  cause  than  on  any  other  motive.  He  wore  a 
felt  hat,  ornamented  with  a  black  feather,  which 
the  mustering  officer  had  prevailed  upon  him  to 
adopt. 

The  squadron  was  composed  of  rather  young 
men  as  a  rule,  and  they  were  the  sons  of  farmers 
and  others  engaged  in  business.  They  were  fine- 
looking  men,  and  they  had  been  diligently  drilled 
by  the  officers  sent  to  Riverlawn  for  the  purpose. 
Perhaps  the  commander  was  the  only  real  planter 
enlisted ;  for  most  of  them  in  the  vicinity  were 
past  the  age  for  active  service,  though  they  had 
done  their  duty  in  repressing  outrages  and  keep- 
ing the  peace. 

Captain  Gordon,  who  had  been  charged  with 
the  organization  of  the  first  company,  was  in  com- 
mand of  it,  while  Captain  Truman,  a  young  law- 
yer, whose  eloquent  voice  had  been  raised  for  the 
Union  in  the  important  meeting  at  the  Big  Bend 
schoolhouse,  was  in  command  of  the  second ;  but 
he  had  proved  in  the  Riverlawn  battle  that  he 
was  a  brave  man,  and  would  make  a  good  soldier. 


56  IN   THE   SADDLE 

Tom  Belthorpe,  who  had  taken  part  in  the  defence 
of  Lyndhall  and  of  Riverlawn,  was  first  lieutenant 
of  tlie  first  company ;  while  Major  Gadbury,  whose 
military  title  was  one  of  courtesy,  held  the  corre- 
sponding rank  in  the  second  company. 

It  had  required  a  great  deal  of  persuasion  to 
induce  the  proprietor  of  Riverlawn  to  accept 
the  position  of  major.  He  was  a  man  of  char- 
acter; and  some  of  the  planters  in  the  neighbor- 
hood, especially  Colonel  Cosgrove  and  Colonel 
Belthorpe,  convinced  him  that  it  was  his  duty 
to  the  cause  to  take  the  place.  He  had  proved 
to  them,  in  the  engagements  with  the  ruffians, 
that  he  had  the  material  in  his  composition  of 
which  reliable  commanders  are  made. 

Deck  Lyon  had  a  tremendous  reputation  for 
courage  and  skill  at  Lyndhall ;  for  he  had  rescued 
both  of  the  daughters  of  its  owner  from  the 
hands  of  the  ruffians,  who  had  captured  them 
for  the  purpose  of  assisting  in  the  recovery  of 
the  arms  the  major  had  secured.  When  it  came 
to  the  matter  of  electing  officers  for  the  second 
company,  Tom  had  advocated  the  choice  of  Deck 
as  captain,  though  he  was  only  eighteen  years 
old,  to  the  position. 


THE  day's   march   OF   THE   SQUADRON        57 

Of  course  the  young  man  was  elated  at  the 
idea  of  being  elevated  to  such  a  position  before 
he  had  been  tried  in  the  service ;  but  it  did  not 
seem  to  be  quite  right  to  him,  and  he  went  to 
his  father  for  advice.  The  major  promptly  ad- 
vised him  to  accept  no  position  in  the  company. 
He  was  too  young  to  be  the  commander  of  a 
company,  which  might  be  ordered  on  duty  by 
itself.  As  his  father  pointed  out  to  him  the 
difficulties  in  his  way.  Deck  went  to  the  other 
extreme,  and  declined  to  take  a  place  even  as  a 
non-commissioned  officer.  Artie  Lyon  liked  the 
stand  he  had  taken  so  well,  that  he  followed  his 
example,  and  both  remained  privates. 

Deck  and  Artie  did  not  forget  the  favorable 
mention  of  their  names,  and  they  electioneered 
very  zealously  for  the  choice  of  Tom  Belthorpe 
as  first  lieutenant.  In  the  case  of  the  former, 
perhaps  Deck  was  unconsciously  influenced  by 
the  fact  that  he  had  a  very  pretty  sister,  who  had 
manifested  no  little  interest  in  him  since  he  had 
attacked  the  ruffian  who  held  her  as  a  prisoner. 
In  fact,  Tom  had  two  pretty  sisters ;  but  this 
fact  affected  Lieutenant  Gadbury  more  than  any 
other  person. 


68  IN   THE   SADDLE 

When  the  squadron  had  advanced  a  short  dis- 
tance, Major  Lyon  wheeled  his  horse,  and  faced 
his  command,  who  were  marching  as  usual  on 
the  road  by  fours.  He  had  learned  his  lesson 
well  at  the  camp ;  for  the  squadron  had  been 
thoroughly  drilled  from  the  beginning,  up  to  the 
point  where  the  "  school  of  the  battalion "  had 
been  their  practice. 

"  Battalion,  halt !  "  he  commanded,  with  a  voice 
loud  enough  and  clear  enough  to  be  heard  far 
back  of  the  place  where  the  order  was  given. 

Captain  Gordon  declared  that  he  had  not  caught 
the  major  in  a  single  error  or  slip  since  he  had 
begun  to  exercise  the  squadron.  The  command 
was  repeated  by  the  subordinate  officers,  and  the 
force  came  to  a  full  halt.  Deck  had  stopped  by 
the  side  of  the  road,  to  await  the  coming  up  of 
his  section,  and  his  father  called  him  as  soon  as 
he  had  halted  the  battalion. 

The  young  man  had  been  on  a  military  erranc^ 
for  the  major,  rather  than  for  his  father,  who 
insisted  that  his  two  sons  should  fare  precisely 
the  same  as  other  soldiers  of  the  companies. 
There  was  to  be  no  favoritism  on  account  of  re- 
lationship.    Deck  could  not  report  the  result  of 


THE  day's  march  OF  THE  SQUADRON   59 

his  errand  while  the  commander  was  marching 
at  the  head  of  his  column,  for  the  new  companies 
had  not  i-eached  the  free-and-easy  stage  Avhich 
came  later. 

Deck  saluted  the  major  as  though  they  had 
never  met  before  in  their  lives,  and  liis  father 
acknowledged  it.  Then  the  private  reported  the 
result  of  his  mission. 

"  You  have  been  making  some  stay  at  this 
house  we  are  passing,"  continued  Major  Lyon, 
as  he  glanced  back  at  the  two  boys  who  were 
still  standing  there. 

"  Found  a  fight  going  on  in  the  house,  and  I 
went  in  on  account  of  a  call  for  help,"  replied 
Deck. 

"  But  that  is  Pickford's  house,  and  no  ruffians 
would  attack  him,"  suggested  tlie  major.  "  Are 
these  Titus's  boys  standing  here?" 

"  They  are.  Uncle  Titus  has  a  bill  against 
Pickford  for  twenty-seven  dollars  for  building 
his  chimney,  and  Sandy  and  Orly  were  trying 
to  collect  it  by  force  of  arms." 

"I  will  hear  more  of  that  another  time.  Dex- 
ter," added  Major  Lyon,  cutting  short  the  story. 
"  I  declare,  I  liardly  knew  those  boys !  " 


60  IN   THE   SADDLE 

"  They  have  had  a  hard  time  of  it ;  but  I  must 
fall  in,"  said  Deck,  as  he  began  to  turn  his  horse. 
"  I  suppose  you  are  out  for  a  drill,  father." 

"  We  are  not ;  we  are  going  on  duty  this  time. 
General  Buckner  is  somewhere  in  this  vicinity, 
and  evidently  intends  to  occupy  Bowling  Green. 
Colonel  Cosgrove  came  over  to  see  me  this  morn- 
ing. He  says  Captain  Titus's  company  have  got 
into  the  Confederate  army  at  last,  and  have  been 
supplied  with  arms  of  a  poor  quality,  though  not 
with  uniforms." 

"  His  men  have  been  about  half-starved  while 
waiting,  and  that  is  the  reason  why  Sandy  and 
Orly  came  home,"  added  the  young  soldier. 

"  Another  time  for  that.  Dexter.  Are  you  all 
ready  to  march  with  your  company  ?  ' '  asked  the 
major. 

"  I  have  my  sabre,  carbine,  and  pistols ;  but  I 
have  no  blanket,  as  I  see  the  rest  of  the  men 
have." 

"  You  can  be  supplied  from  the  wagon  in  the 
rear.  But  fall  in,"  said  the  major,  as  he  prepared 
to  resume  the  march. 

Deck  galloped  back  to  the  section  in  which  he 
belonged,  where  he  had  only  to  take  his  place  at 


THE  day's  march  OF  THE  SQUADRON   61 

the  side  of  Artie,  though  inside  of  him,  for  he  was 
a  trifle  taller  than  his  cousin.  In  the  infantry, 
the  tallest  men  are  placed  on  the  right,  which  is 
always  the  head  of  the  column,  while  in  the  cav- 
alry the  tallest  are  placed  in  the  middle. 

"What  does  all  this  mean.  Deck?  Didn't  I 
see  Sandy  and  Orly  Lyon  by  that  house  ?  "  asked 
Artie. 

"  They  are  there,  whether  you  saw  them  or  not," 
replied  Deck. 

"  Battalion,  at  ease,  march  !  " 

In  the  infantry,  when  the  order  for  "  route 
step !  "  is  given,  the  men  need  not  even  keep 
step,  and  the  formalities  are  relaxed  in  some  other 
respects.  In  the  cavalry,  in  which  the  horses  take 
all  the  steps,  the  strain  of  precise  position  and 
movement  is  removed,  and  the  soldiers  may  make 
the  best  of  their  journey.  Artie  wanted  to  know 
all  about  his  two  cousins  he  had  seen  at  Pick- 
ford's,  and  Deck  told  him  the  whole  story  of  what 
had  occurred  there. 

"  Is  it  possible  that  Uncle  Titus's  family  are 
reduced  to  such  a  strait?"  demanded  Artie,  his 
pity  and  sympathy  apparent  on  his  face. 

"  The  boys  say  Aunt  Meely  and  the  girls  are 


62  IN   THE   SADDLE 

going  back  to  Deny ;  and  that  looks  as  though  the 
family  were  very  hard  up,"  replied  Deck.  "  And 
Mabel  has  gone  out  to  work  in  the  family  of  Dr. 
Falkirk." 

"  I  think  Sandy  and  Orly  must  be  in  a  desperate 
situation  when  they  try  to  collect  a  bill  with  a  gun." 

"  I  have  no  doubt  of  it ;  though  Sandy  tried  to 
put  the  best  face  on  the  matter,  and  said  the  part 
of  the  Confederate  army  that  was  to  come  to  Bow- 
ling Green  had  not  got  there  yet,  and  that  they 
will  be  all  right  as  soon  as  the  company  is  mus- 
tered in.  Orly  speaks  out  loud,  and  tells  all  he 
knows  about  the  condition  of  the  family.  He 
wants  to  join  one  of  our  companies." 

"  Orly  Lyon!  "  exclaimed  Artie.  "  Why,  he  was 
one  of  the  loudest  Secessionists  in  the  village  !  " 

"  He  has  got  enough  of  it,  working  without  pay 
or  rations,"  added  Deck.  "  But  where  are  we 
going,  Artie  ?  " 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know ;  why  didn't  you  ask 
your  father,  if  you  want  to  know?" 

"Ask  my  father!  You  know  better  than  that, 
Artie  ;  for  you  are  aware  that  commanding  offi- 
cers don't  tell  what  they  are  going  to  do  till  they 
get  ready  to  do  it,"  returned  Deck. 


THE  day's  march  OF  THE  SQUADRON   G3 

"  We  are  provided  with  ammunition  and  rations, 
and  very  likely  we  have  come  out  to-day  in  order 
to  get  used  to  carrying  them  on  a  march,"  sug- 
gested Artie. 

"  Not  at  all ;  for  father  told  me  we  were  out  on 
duty  to-day,  though  he  did  not  say  what  it  was," 
replied  Deck. 

The  march  continued  all  day  long,  and  it  began 
to  look  as  though  it  would  extend  into  the  night. 
About  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  Major  Lyon 
called  a  halt  at  a  point  where  a  railroad  coidd  be 
seen  in  the  gloom  of  the  nig-ht.  The  column  had 
just  crossed  a  bridge  of  considerable  length  over  a 
creek,  and  the  position  of  the  railroad  indicated 
that  it  must  be  bridged  over  the  same  stream. 

While  the  commander  and  his  officers  were  try- 
ing to  make  out  the  surroundings,  half  a  dozen 
muskets  were  discharged  from  a  covert  of  trees  ; 
but  fortunately  none  of  the  cavalrymen  appeared 
to  be  struck  by  the  bullets.  But  it  was  evident 
that  the  time  for  action  had  come. 


G4  IN  THE  SADDLE 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  LEADER   OF   THE   SCOUTING-PARTY 

As  the  squadron  came  to  a  region  where  Major 
Lyon  was  no  longer  familiar  with  the  country, 
scouts  had  been  sent  out  ahead  of  the  column  to 
give  information  in  regard  to  any  possible  enemy. 
Confederate  troops  had  been  reported  from  several 
different  directions  by  those  who  had  occasion  to 
travel  about  the  State.  As  indicated  by  some  of 
their  operations,  tlieir  present  policy  was  to  de- 
stroy the  railroad  bridges,  so  as  to  prevent  the 
government  from  forwarding  troops  by  them. 

General  Buckner,  or  his  forces,  had  destroyed 
one  at  Rolling  Creek ;  but  he  was  supposed  to  be 
falling  back  upon  Bowling  Green,  as  regiments 
from  Ohio,  Indiana,  and  Illinois  began  to  reach 
tliis  part  of  the  State.  It  was  possible  that  the 
squadron  might  come  in  contact  with  some  of 
these  forces;  and  the  men  were  very  anxious  to 
find  them. 


THE   LEADER   OF   THE   SCOUT ING-PARTY       65 

Sergeant  Knox  was  at  the  head  of  the  scouts. 
He  was  a  man  of  forty-two,  a  tall,  raw-boned  Ken- 
tuckian,  whose  enterprise  and  love  of  adventure 
had  led  him  into  the  region  beyond  the  Missis- 
sippi, where  he  had  been  a  regular  soldier,  a 
hunter,  a  trapper,  and  voyageur.  For  some  reason 
he  had  become  a  strong  friend  of  Deck  Lyon,  who 
was  never  tired  of  listening  to  his  stories  of  the 
regions  beyond  the  pale  of  civilization.  He  was 
a  bluff,  good-natured  man  with  those  who  pleased 
his  fancy ;  and,  though  he  was  not  bitter  or  re- 
vengeful, he  was  capable  of  being  a  terrible 
enemy. 

Firing  at  a  target  was  part  of  the  regular  drill 
of  the  cavalrymen  in  camp,  and  Life  Knox  always 
^  put  his  ball  inside  of  every  other.  His  name  was 
Eliphalet,  and  he  sometimes  laughed  at  his  par- 
ents for  giving  him  such  a  long  name.  Captain 
Gordon  had  had  no  little  difficulty  in  inducing 
him  to  sign  his  name  in  full  on  the  enlistment 
papers.  He  had  abbreviated  it  to  "  Life,"  and  de- 
clared that  he  had  never  signed  anything  but 
that  to  any  document  in  all  his  life. 

He  was  born  and  "raised"  in  Warren  County, 
though  he  had  wandered  far  from  it  at,  an  early 


66  IN   THE   SADDLE 

uge,  after  tlie  death  of  his  father  and  mother.  He 
had  a  brother  who  was  a  prosperous  planter,  and 
with  him  he  had  lived  the  last  two  years  of  his 
life.  When  he  came  to  Riverlawn  to  enlist,  he 
brought  with  him  a  long  rifle,  which  was  a  load 
for  an  ordinary  man  to  carry.  He  was  told  that 
he  could  make  no  use  of  it  in  the  army ;  but  he 
asked  Deck  to  take  care  of  it  for  him,  and  he  put 
it  in  his  room. 

It  was  occasionally  brought  out  when  the  sol- 
diers were  firing  at  a  target,  and  Life  produced 
the  most  surprising  results  with  it.  He  was 
pretty  sure  to  hit  the  bull's-eye  with  it  every 
time ;  for  he  had  been  trained  where  his  daily  ex- 
istence depended  upon  the  accuracy  of  his  aim. 
He  could  bring  down  a  squirrel  as  far  as  he  could 
see  him ;  and  he  always  insisted  that  the  rifle  had 
as  much  to  do  with  the  result  as  himself.  His 
shooting  was  observed  with  interest  by  the  offi- 
cers and  men ;  and  he  was  called,  not  simply  a 
good,  but  a  remarkable,  shot.  He  was  a  dead 
shot  to  any  living  thing  at  which  he  aimed. 

Life  Knox  was  a  good-hearted  man ;  but  there 
was  a  sort  of  inborn  aristocracy  in  him  which 
would  not  permit  him  to  associate  intimately  with 


THE   LEADER   OF   THE    SCOUTIXG-PARTY       67 

all  his  comrades  in  the  ranks,  though  he  treated 
them  well,  and  spoke  pleasantly  to  them.  Deck 
was  alwaj^s  respectful  to  him,  and  Life  had  taken 
a  decided  fancy  to  him.  When  the  tall  Kentuck- 
ian  was  ordered  upon  the  scout,  he  took  care  that 
Deck  should  be  one  of  the  party.  They  had 
ridden  together  all  the  afternoon,  and  Life  had 
made  the  time  seem  short  to  the  young  man  by 
relating  all  the  details  of  a  fight  with  a  party  of 
Indians. 

As  the  darkness  of  the  evening  came  on.  Life 
ordered  his  men  to  keep  a  sharp  lookout  on  all 
sides,  and  suspended  his  thrilling  narratives  that 
his  own.  watchfulness  might  not  be  impaired. 
The  scouts  were  passing  through  what  appeared 
to  be  a  plantation,  though  they  could  not  yet  see 
any  buildings.  Suddenly  the  light  of  a  fire 
flashed  up  at  a  considerable  distance  to  the  right 
of  the  scouts  in  the  road. 

"  A  fire.  Life  ! "  shouted  Deck,  as  he  discov- 
ered the  glare  of  the  first  flame  that  rose  in  the 
darkness. 

"Hush,  little  one  !  "  interposed  Knox.  "  Don't 
tell  the  neighbors  about  it,  for  it  might  astonish 
them." 


68  IN   THE   SADDLE 

"  I  don't  believe  there  are  any  neighbors  very 
near  us,"  replied  Deck  in  a  low  tone.  "  But  there 
is  something  going  on  in  this  vicinity." 

"  We  won't  tell  'em,  whoever's  at  work  round 
here,  that  we  are  coming.  By  the  light  of 
the  fire  I  can  see  a  mansion  or  farmhouse  over 
yonder," 

As  he  spoke,  the  report  of  the  half-a-dozen  mus- 
kets, more  or  less,  that  had  attracted  the  atten- 
tion of  the  main  body  of  the  squadron,  was  heard, 
though  the  scouts  were  half  a  mile  distant.  The 
building  of  the  fire  was  possibly  a  signal  for  the 
discharge  which  had  so  soon  followed  it ;  but 
no  other  connection  could  be  suggested-  between 
them. 

"  One  man  can  always  do  better  in  lookin'  inter 
things  than  a  dozen,"  said  Life,  as  he  was  trying 
to  connect  the  fire  and  the  firing  in  a  reasonable 
manner.  "  Ride  over  towards  that  fire,  Deck,  and 
see  what  you  can  see." 

"  Be  you  uns  soldiers,  Mars'r  ?  "  asked  a  negro, 
coming  out  of  a  cornfield  at  the  side  of  the  road, 
where  the  stalks  had  concealed  his  coming. 

"  Of  course  we  are,  Cato,"  replied  Deck,  who 
was  nearest  to  him. 


THE    LEADER    OF    THE    SCOUTING-rAllTY       69 

"  Who  done  tole  you  my  name,  Mars'r  ?  "  asked 
the  negro,  whose  surprise  seemed  to  have  driven 
everything  else  out  of  his  head. 

"I  guessed  at  it.  But  what  do  you  want?  I 
told  you  we  were  soldiers,"  added  Deck.  "  Do 
you  come  from  that  house  beyond  the  corn- 
field?" 

"  Yes,  Mars'r ;  but  if  you  uns  is  soldiers,  which 
side  was  you  on  ?  "  inquired  Cato  very  cautiously. 

"  Not  gone,  Deck  ?  "  asked  Knox,  riding  up  to 
him. 

"  This  contraband  has  just  come  out  of  the  field, 
and  belongs  to  the  house  we  saw  in  the  distance. 
I  thought  he  could  tell  me  better  than  I  could  see 
for  myself  what  is  going  on  here,"  replied  Deck. 

"  You  are  right.  Deck." 

"  But  he  wants  to  know  which  side  we  are  on 
before  he  says  anything,"  added  Deck. 

"  Then  he  is  a  sensible  nigger.  Of  course  we 
uns  belong  on  the  Union  side ;  and  when  jon 
catch  Life  Knox  on  any  other  side,  you'll  catch 
a  coon  asleep,"  replied  the  sergeant,  decidedly 
enough  to  satisfy  any  doubtful  person.  "  What's 
gwine  on  at  that  fire,  Minky  ?  " 
I       "  Bress  de  Lod  if  you  was  Union  sodgers !  and 


70  IN    THE    SADDLE 

my  name  is  Cato  !  "  exclaimed  the  visitor,  ear- 
nestly enough  for  a  camp-meeting.  "Dey  is  a  hull 
regiment  of  Sesh  sodgers  ober  dar !  "  he  added, 
pointing  in  the  direction  from  which  the  report  of 
the  liring  had  come. 

Without  waiting  for  any  further  information, 
Knox  called  Lane,  one  of  the  scouts,  and  sent  him 
back  to  report  what  the  negro  said  to  Major  Lyon. 
He  was  directed  to  move  slowly  after  he  had  gone 
the  eighth  of  a  mile ;  for  the  enemy  were  at  some 
point  on  the  right  of  the  I'oad,  and  he  would  get  a 
shot  if  he  disturbed  them. 

"  What  are  the  Sesh  soldiers  here  for,  Cato  ?  " 
asked  Knox,  as  soon  as  his  messenger  had  gone. 

''  Gwine  to  burn  de  bridge  ober  dar,"  replied 
the  man,  pointing  in  the  dii'ection  in  which  the 
structure  had  been  made  out  in  the  gloom  of  the 
evenino-. 

"  Well,  why  don't  they  burn  it,  then  ?  " 

"  Dey  done  got  oder  business  at  de  mansion- 
house,  sar." 

"  Wliat  other  business  have  they  got  there  ?  " 

"  I  reckon  de  story's  as  long  as  Uncle  Zeke's 
sarmints ;  but  de  fust  thing  is,  dey's  gwine  to  hang 
Mars'r  Barkland  to  one  ob  dem  trees,  if  he  don't 


THE    LEADER    OF    THE    SCOUTING-PARTY       71 

tell  whar  he  hide  his  money,"'  answered  Cato,  as 
he  gave  a  hurried  glance  at  the  fire. 

"  How  many  men  are  there  at  the  house,  or  near 
it,  Cato  ?  "  asked  Knox  with  deep  interest. 

"  I  done  count  six  on  'em." 

"  Then  we  won't  allow  a  Union  man  to  he  liung 
to  a  tree.  Scouts,  attention,  march  !  "  called  the 
sergeant  hurriedly. 

With  this  order,  Life  dashed  into  the  cornfield, 
closely  followed  hy  Deck  and  the  others.  The 
harvest  had  been  gathered  in  the  field,  and  there 
was  nothing  but  the  stalks  that  remained  to  ob- 
struct the  passage  of  the  squad.  The  fire  was  at 
the  edge  of  a  grove,  on  ground  slightly  elevated, 
and  not  far  in  the  rear  of  the  mansion,  which 
could  now  be  distinctly  seen.  In  approaching  it, 
the  cavalrymen  came  to  a  spot  less  elevated  than 
the  grove,  where  Knox  halted  to  reconnoitre. 

"  There's  a  lot  of  the  villains  coming  from  the 
house !  "  exclaimed  the  sergeant,  as  he  brought  his 
horse  to  a  full  stop  all  at  once. 

"  They  have  about  finished  hanging  Union  men 
in  our  county,"  said  Deck,  "  and  I  don't  believe 
they  will  hang  this  one  here." 

"  You  can  bet  your  horse  they  won't,"  added 


72  ^   TN    THE   SADDLE 

/ 

Life.     "  ^iiey  can't  see   us   yet,  and  I  think  we 
liad  better  fix  things  a  little  before  we  begin  busi- 
iiess."" 
^     "  We  obey  orders,  Sergeant.     There's  a  knoll 
over  on  the  right  covered  over  with  trees." 

"  I  was  looking  at  that ;  and  we  will  move 
over  there,  and  take  a  position  behind  it,  where 
they  can't  see  us,"  replied  Knox,  as  he  led  the  way 
through  a  hollow,  which  brought  the  party  to  it. 

The  mansion-house  was  on  the  highest  ground 
in  the  vicinity,  though  it  was  not  on  a  hill.  The 
fire  seemed  to  be  plentifully  supplied  with  wood ; 
for  it  burned  brightly,  and  shed  its  light  on  the 
road  leadingr  from  the  house  to  the  gfrove.  A 
group  of  men  could  be  seen  approaching  the  ele- 
vation where  the  fire  burned.  They  moved  very 
slowly,  and  appeared  to  have  considerable  trouble 
in  making  any  progress  at  all.  There  was  a 
prisoner  in  the  midst  of  the  party,  and  he  was 
very  unwilling  to  move  in  the  direction  indicated 
by  his  oppressors. 

While  they  were  observing  the  spectacle,  Cato 
joined  them,  for  he  had  followed  the  cavalrymen 
us  rapidly  as  he  could  on  foot.  He  evidently 
belonged  on  the  plantation,  and  knew  all  about 


THE    LEADER    OF    THE    SCOUTING-PARTY       73 

the  nature  of  the  affair  in  progress,  though  the 
sergeant  was  not  disposed  to  listen  to  a  story  as 
"long  as  Uncle  Zeke's  sermons." 

"  Do  you  know  what  those  villains  are  doing 
there,    Cato  ? "    he    asked,   when    the    negro   had ' 
recovered  his  breath. 

"  Dey  drag  ole  Mars'r  Barkland  ober  to  de 
tree,  whar  dey  will  hang  him,"  answered  Cato 
promptly. 

"  Then  your  master  has  plenty  of  money  ?  " 

"  I  dunno,  Mars'r ;  he  neber  tole  me  notin' 
about  dat." 

"  I  s'pose  not.  Are  the  men  who  came  to  the 
mansion  in  uniform,  Cato  ?  " 

"  No,  sar ;  no  uniform  but  de  rags  dey  wear. 
Cap'n  Tites  is  out  at  bof  elbows,  and  a  nigger'd 
be  'shamed  to  wear  sich  a  coat." 

"  Did  you  hear  what  they  said  when  they  came 
to  the  house  ?  " 

"  Hear  ebery  word  dey  say,  Mars'r,  'cause  I 
waits  on  de  table  when  dey  done  took  supper." 

"  Then  they  had  supper  at  the  mansion  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sar ;  dey  was  all  half-starbed,  and  dey 
eat  more'n  twenty  men,  and  done  drink  whiskey 
enougfh  to  float  a  canal-boat." 


74  IN   THE   SADDLE 

"  Did  that  captain  you  spoke  of  drink  wliiske}^ 
Cato?"  asked  Deck. 

"  He  done  drink  more  as  all  de  rest  on  'em. 
Mars'r  Barkland  willin'  to  gib  dem  de  supper 
and  de  whiskey,  but  he  don't  want  to  gib  'em 
any  money.  Cap'n  Tites  tell  him  he  done  got 
million  money;  but  mars'r  say  he  don't  hab  none. 
Den  de  cap'n  say  he  hang  'im  to  a  tree  if  he 
don't  gib  up  de  money." 

"  That  will  do,  Cato ;  T  think  I  understand  the 
matter  now,"  said  Knox,  as  he  changed  his  posi- 
tion so  that  he  could  get  a  better  view  of  the 
scene  of  action.  "  They  have  got  nearly  to  the 
tree.     It  is  about  time  to  make  a  move." 

The  sergeant  questioned  the  negro  in  regard 
to  tlie  road  which  led  to  the  rear  of  the  house, 
and  some  other  matters  relating  to  the  locality. 
Knox  was  a  strategist  in  a  small  Avay,  as  he  had 
been  obliged  to  be  in  defending  himself  from 
Indians  and  wild  beasts.  In  a  moment  he  had 
his  plan  ready  to  put  into  operation. 

"  I  count  nine  men  there,  taking  in  the  planter," 
said  he.  "  Cato  says  there  is  a  whole  regiment 
camped  in  here  somewhar.  I  don't  believe  it, 
Deck ;  but  we  don't  want  to  stir  'em  up  just  yet. 


THE   LEADER   OF   THE   SCOUTING-PARTY       75 

You  will  take  Owens  and  Fox,  and  ride  round 
to  that  road  Cato  tells  about,  and  I  will  go  in 
on  this  side.  I'll  do  most  of  the  job  with  hiy 
four;  but  I  don't  want  'em  to  git  off  to  their 
main  body.     Major  Lyon'll  tend  to  them." 

Deck  started  at  once  with  his  two  followers, 
directed  by  Cato  again ;  and  the  negro  went  him- 
self with  all  the  speed  of  his  legs.  He  came  to 
the  road,  which  was  simply  a  driveway  over  the 
plantation,  and  soon,  reached  the  house.  He  was 
galloping  his  steed;  but  when  he  came  to  the 
house  he  reined  him  in  at  the  plaintive  suppli- 
cation of  an  elderly  woman  and  a  young  lady, 
whose  face  he  could  not  see  in  the  gloom  of  the 
evening. 


76  IN   THE   SADDLE 


CHAPTER  VI 

A   VERY   OBSTINATE   PRISONER    CAPTURED 

Deck  Lyon's  horse  had  been  one  of  his  father's 
best  stock,  and  he  had  been  selected  by  Levi  Bed- 
ford, the  overseer,  for  his  use.  He  was  a  very 
spirited  animal,  and  not  every  young  fellow  of 
eighteen  would  have  felt  at  home  in  a  saddle 
placed  on  his  back.  As  the  ladies  from  the  house 
rushed  forward  to  intercept  him,  Ceph,  which  was 
his  abbreviated  name,  was  startled,  reared,  and 
faced  the  music,  as  he  had  been  taught  to  do. 

"  I  didn't  mean  to  scare  your  horse,  sii-,"  said 
the  elder  of  the  ladies ;  "  but  for  the  love  of 
Heaven,  can't  you  do  something  for  my  husband?" 
demanded  Mrs.  Barkland,  as  she  proved  to  be. 

"  Oh,  save  my  father,  if  you  can  ! "  added  the 
younger  woman.  "  Oh,  my  father !  They  are 
abusing  him  shamefully,  and  they  have  threat- 
ened to  hang  him." 

"  That  is  the  business  in  which  I  am  enoraaed  : 


A   VERY   OBSTINATE   PIIISONER    CAPTURED     77 

and,  if  you  will  excuse  me,  I  will  attend  to  it," 
replied  Deck,  as  he  gave  Ceph  the  signal  to  go 
ahead  again  with  his  legs. 

"Do  save  him!"  repeated  the  old  lady,  who 
wanted  to  talk  some  more  about  the  matter. 

But  the  young  cavalryman  waited  to  hear  no 
more ;  and  his  horse  went  off  at  a  dead  run,  the 
other  two  following  him  as  rapidly  as  their  steeds 
would  permit,  and  he  was  several  rods  ahead  of 
them.  In  a  couple  of  minutes  he  had  reached 
a  point  which  commanded  a  view  of  the  place 
chosen  for  the  spectacle.  The  actors  had  evi- 
dently preferred  to  be  at  a  distance  from  the 
mansion,  where  the  women  could  not  interfere 
with  them,  the  better  to  carry  their  point  with 
the  owner  of  the  plantation. 

They  had  the  intended  victim  with  a  rope 
around  his  neck,  and  there  could  be  no  doubt  in 
regard  to  their  purpose.  One  man  had  the  other 
end  of  the  line,  and  was  climbing  a  tree  with  it, 
to  pass  it  over  a  branch.  Five  men  were  on  the 
ground,  and  their  attention  had  already  been  at- 
tracted by  the  approach  of  the  horsemen  from  the 
direction  of  tlie  house ;  and  they  did  not  appear 
to  have  observed  the  others,  with  Knox  at  their 


78  IN   THE   SADDLE 

head,  for  they  had  passed  behind  a  thicket  of 
young  trees  on  a  knoll. 

"  Halt ! "  shouted  one  of  the  five  men  in  a 
voice  loud  enouofli  to  be  heard  half  a  mile.  "If 
you  come  any  nearer  we  will  fire !  " 

"  Fire  away !  "  yelled  Deck  with  all  the  force  of 
his  lungs. 

But  he  reined  in  his  steed ;  and  Ceph  obediently 
came  to  a  full  stop,  while  he  unslung  his  carbine, 
his  companions  doing  the  same  without  any  sug- 
gestion from  him.  They  came  up  to  him,  and 
ranofed  their  horses  at  his  side.  The  carbines 
were  ready  for  use  in  a  moment,  and  all  three  of 
them  were  aimed  at  the  five  men  surrounding  the 
planter.  The  actors  in  the  tragedy  very  plainly 
did  not  like  this  demonstration  ;  for  they  did  not 
fire,  thousfh  all  of  them  had  aimed  at  the  intru- 
ders  on  this  side  of  them.  The  distance  was  still 
considerable,  and  probably  they  had  no  great  faith 
in  the  arms  in  their  hands. 

"  Now  we  will  go  ahead,  if  you  are  ready.  Fox 
and  Owens,"  said  Deck,  though  he  had  no  author- 
ity wliatever  to  direct  their  movements. 

The  speed  and  sagacity  of  Ceph  appeared  to 
have  placed  him  in  command  of  the  little  squad, 


A   VERY   OBSTINATE    PRISONEU    CAPTURED     79 

for  his  horse  always  kept  away  ahead  of  every 
other  when  he  was  permitted  to  do  so.  Deck  was 
a  brave  fellow ;  he  seemed  to  have  no  idea  of  any- 
thing like  fear  when  he  was  required  to  face  an 
enemy ;  but  his  father,  who  thought  his  son  was 
inclined  to  be  reckless,  had  carefully  instilled  into 
his  mind  the  necessity  of  prudence. 

Knox  had  said  that  he  intended  to  do  most  of 
the  work  on  the  present  occasion ;  but  just  now  it 
looked  as  though  the  whole  of  it  had  fallen  on 
Deck's  party.  It  was  possible  that  he  and  his  men 
had  been  entangled  in  the  bushes  and  young  trees, 
or  had  come  to  some  water  they  could  not  easily 
pass.  Deck  led  the  way,  and  his  companions  kept 
close  to  him.  The  man  in  the  tree  had  passed  the 
line  over  the  branch,  and  thrown  the  end  down  to 
the  others. 

"Halt  where  you  are!"  shouted  the  man  who 
had  spoken  before;  and  tliis  time  his  voice  gave 
Deck  a  thrill  which  caused  him  to  stop  his  horse. 

The  two  parties  were  not  more  than  two  hun- 
dred feet  apart ;  and  the  leader  believed  the 
speaker  was  his  uncle.  Captain  Titus  Lyon.  This 
gave  him  much  to  think  of  besides  the  identity  of 
the  commander  of  the  expedition  upon  which  the 


80  IN   THE   SADDLE 

squadron  had  fallen.  It  was  evident  to  him  that 
the  first  work  of  the  cavalry  squadron  raised  at 
Riverlawn  was  to  be  fighting  the  Home  Guards, 
or  "  ruffians  "  as  they  had  hitherto  been  called. 

Deck  was  annoyed  and  disconcerted  at  the  dis- 
covery he  had  made,  and  it  checked  his  enthusi- 
asm ;  for  the  quarrel  with  Uncle  Titus,  which  he 
insisted  upon  carrying  to  extremes,  was  in  the 
family.  The  forces  at  Riverlawn  had  defeated 
and  driven  off  him  and  his  command  three  times, 
and  it  was  an  old  story.  He  had  hoped  and  ex- 
pected that  the  campaign  would  present  the  war 
in  a  new  aspect. 

It  gave  the  young  soldier  his  first  lively  impres- 
sion of  the  results  of  civil  war.  He  was  not  at  all 
inclined  to  shoot  his  father's  brother;  though  he 
was  just  as  earnestly  determined  to  do  his  whole 
duty  to  his  country,  without  regard  to  his  relation- 
ship with  any  of  the  combatants  on  the  other  side. 
They  were  there  by  their  own  choice,  and  were 
responsible  for  the  consequences. 

With  his  carbine  ready  for  instant  use.  Deck 
rode  forward  very  slowly ;  and,  more  than  at  any 
time  before,  he  wished  Knox  would  arrive  upon 
the  scene  of  action.     Captain  Titus  could  now  be 


A   VERY   OBSTINATE   PRISONER   CAPTURED     81 

clearly  identified ;  and  lie  had  evidently  made  up 
his  mind  to  proceed  with  the  business  in  hand,  as 
only  three  men  had  appeared  so  far  to  interfere 
with  the  operation.  He  had  turned  his  attention 
from  the  intruders,  and  was  talking  to  the  unfor- 
tunate planter  he  had  captured  in  a  brutal  man- 
ner, and  shaking  his  fist  frequently  in  his  face. 

"  Stand  by  the  rope  !  "  called  he  to  the  other 
men.  "  The  fellow  is  as  obstinate  as  a  mule,  and 
we  must  make  an  end  of  him." 

"  Aim  at  the  men  who  are  holding  the  rope," 
said  Deck  to  his  companions,  and  the  three  car- 
bines were  promptly  pointed  at  them.  "  This 
thing  has  gone  far  enough  !  "  continued  he,  ad- 
dressing the  principal  actor  in  the  scene. 

"  Who  are  you '? "  demanded  Captain  Titus,  stop- 
ping long  enough  in  his  operation  to  examine  the 
intruders. 

"  I  don't  want  to  shoot  you,  but  if  you  proceed 
any  farther  with  this  business  we  shall  fire," 
replied  Deck. 

Captain  Titus  was  plainly  astonished,  if  not  con- 
founded, when  he  recognized  his  nephew  in  the 
uniform  of  the  cavalry.  He  did  not  like  the  looks 
of  the  three   carbines  pointed  at  his  men.      But 


82  IN  THE   SADDLE 

Deck  felt  somewhat  ashamed  of  the  delay  he  had 
made  in  relieving  the  terrified  planter  from  the 
extremity  to  which  he  had  been  reduced,  and  lie 
decided  to  bring  matters  to  a  head  at  once.  Start- 
ing his  horse,  he  dashed  to  the  rope,  and  seized  it 
with  one  hand. 

"  Fire  at  him  !  "  yelled  Captain  Titus  furiously, 
to  two  of  the  ruffians  with  muskets  in  their 
hands. 

One  of  them  raised  his  weapon  to  aim  at  Deck, 
who  instantly  fired  at  him.  He  dropped  his  gun 
upon  the  ground,  and  grasped  his  right  arm  with 
the  left  hand.  The  other  man  then  raised  his 
musket;  but  both  of  the  other  horsemen  fired  at 
him  at  the  same  instant,  and  he  dropped  heavily 
on  the  sod. 

The  three  cavalrymen  reloaded  their  weapons, 
and  were  immediately  ready  for  the  next  move. 
The  three  men  at  the  rope  seemed  to  be  appalled 
at  the  fate  of  their  associates,  and  released  their 
hold  upon  it.  A  moment  later  they  began  to 
skulk  off  in  the  direction  of  the  grove. 

"  Don't  let  them  escape,  Owens  !  "  said  Deck, 
to  the  one  nearest  to  him. 

Both  of  them  darted  off  at  a  gallop,  and  headed 


A   VERY    OBSTINATE   PRISONER   CAPTURED     8d 

them  off,  driving  them  back  to  the  tree  from 
which  the  rope  was  hanging.  Again  Deck  seized 
the  line,  and  urged  his  horse  up  to  the  place 
where  the  planter  was  standing.  Reaching  down 
from  his  seat  in  the  saddle,  he  cut  the  cords  that 
bound  the  prisoner,  and  then  directed  him  to 
remove  the  rope  fi'om  his  neck. 

"I  owe  my  life  to  you,  young  man,"  said  Mr. 
Barkland,  panting  with  emotion  and  excitement. 

"I  suppose  you  are  a  Union  man,  sir?"  added 
Deck. 

"  I  am ;  and  that  is  the  reason  why  I  am  sub- 
jected to  this  outrage,"  replied  the  intended 
victim. 

"What  brought  you  here.  Deck  Lyon?  Who 
sent  you  here  to  interfere  with  my  business  ? " 
demanded  Captain  Titus,  confronting  his  nephew 
with  a  savage  frown. 

"  We  shall  not  allow  any  such  business  as 
this,"  answered  Deck,  who  was  not  at  all  in- 
clined to  j)arley  with  the  captain  of  the  late 
Home  Guards,  now  in  the  service  of  the  Con- 
federacy. "  You  and  those  with  you  will  consider 
yourselves  as  prisoners  of  war." 

"Prisoners  of  war!"  exclaimed  Captain  Titus. 


84  IN   THE    SADDLE 

"I  reckon  we  ain't  nothin'  of  the  sort.  Do  you 
mean  to  take  six  on  us  with  only  three  ?  " 

"  We  shall  not  take  the  trouble  to  count  your 
numbers.  Mr.  Barkland,  you  can  return  to  your 
house,  for  your  wife  and  daughter  are  very  anx- 
ious about  you.  I  hope  you  have  not  been 
injured,  sir." 

"  Only  in  my  nerves,"  replied  the  planter,  as 
he  started  for  his  mansion. 

At  this  moment  Knox  and  his  three  men  dashed 
upon  the  scene,  to  the  great  astonishment  of 
Captain  Titus. 

"Well,  Deck,  is  the  business  finished?"  asked 
the  sergeant,  as  he  reined  up  his  steed.  "  We 
liad  to  go  about  two  miles  to  get  here,  and  that 
is  what  made  it  so  late." 

Deck  reported  what  had  happened  so  far.  The 
man  who  had  dropped  so  heavily  on  the  ground 
was  not  killed ;  but  he  was  bleeding  from  a  wound 
in  the  side  of  the  head,  and  the  ball  had  only 
stunned  him.  The  other  man,  with  a  bullet 
through  his  arm,  was  worse  off. 

"  This  man  who  is  in  command  of  the  company 
is  my  uncle.  Captain  Titus,"  said  Deck  in  a  low 
voice  to  the  sergeant. 


A   VERY   OBSTINATE   PRISONER   CAPTURED     85 

"  What !  Major  Lyon's  brother  ?  "  exclaimed 
Life.  "I  have  heard  all  about  him,  and  he  is  a 
pesky  troublesome  fellow." 

"  I  don't  want  anything  more  to  do  with  him, 
Life,  and  I  wish  you  would  dispose  of  him," 
added  Deck. 

"Do  you  want  me  to  kill  him?  I  can't  do 
that;  for"  — 

"  Nothing  of  the  sort !  "  interposed  the  nephew 
warmly.  "  Of  course  I  don't  want  you  to  do 
anything  of  the  sort." 

"  We  have  six  prisoners  of  war,  and  we  will 
march  them  down  to  the  main  body,"  added 
Knox. 

The  sergeant  proceeded  to  form  his  prisoners 
in  a  single  rank;  but  Captain  Titus  appeared  to 
have  brought  all  his  obstinacy  and  unreasonable- 
ness with  him,  and  he  refused  to  take  the  place 
assigned  to  him. 

"  Where  are  you  going  ? "  demanded  the  pris- 
oner, as  though  he  still  ruled  the  roost,  as  he 
had  doubtless  done  in  his  company. 

"None  of  your  business  where  we  are  going," 
replied  the  sergeant.  "  If  you  don't  take  your 
place  I  shall  put  you  into  it." 


86  IN    THE    SADDLE 

"This  thing  won't  hist  long,  for  my  company- 
will  take  a  hand  in  the  business  in  the  morning, 
and  a  battalion  of  Texan  cavalry  will  make  it 
warm  for  you." 

"  We  are  not  talking  about  your  company  or 
any  Texan  cavalry.  Will  you  take  your  place 
in  the  line?  That's  the  only  question  you  have 
got  to  settle,"  returned  Knox. 

"  I  won't  take  any  place ! "  replied  the  captain 
with  a  volley  of  oaths. 

"  Swear  not  at  all,  my  man,"  continued  Life, 
as  he  seized  the  rebellious  prisoner  by  the  back 
of  his  coat  collar,  lifted  him  clear  of  the  ground, 
and  then  brought  him  down  in  the  place  assigned 
to  liim.     "Stay  there!" 

"  I  won't  stay  there  !  "  growled  he,  as  he  at- 
tempted to  leave  the  spot. 

But  Knox  seized  hold  of  him  again,  lifted  him 
up,  and  slapped  him  down  across  the  pommel  of 
his  saddle,  face  down. 

"  Any  way  you  like,  my  man ;  but  you  are 
going  Mdth  this  crowd.  Forward,  my  men !  " 
and  he  placed  himself  at  the  head  of  the  squad, 
and  started  in  the  direction  of  the  road,  in  spite 
of  the  struggles  of  the  prisoner.     But  they  had 


A   VERY   OBSTINATE   PRISONER   CAPTURED     87 

not  reached  the  road  where  they  had  first  seen 
Cato,  when  the  head  of  a  column  appeared  in 
the  act  of  turning  into  the  field,  doubtless  guided 
by  Hart,  the  messenger  who  had  been  sent  to 
report  to  the  major  in  command. 

Knox  halted  his  little  force,  and  threw  his  pris- 
oner on  the  ground  without  any  ceremony,  order- 
ing Owens  to  take  charge  of  him.  The  column 
consisted  of  only  the  first  company,  the  other 
having  been  sent  to  take  another  position.  Cap- 
tain Truman  had  been  ordered  to  hold  himself  in 
readiness  to  cut  off  the  retreat  to  the  westward  of 
the  force  which  Lane  had  reported  upon. 

"  What  have  you  here  ?  "  asked  Major  Lyon,  as 
he  saw  the  six  prisoners  in  front  of  Knox's  scouts. 

"Prisoners,  Major;  and  I  am  sorry  to  say  that 
your  brother  is  one  of  them,"  replied  the  sergeant. 
"  They  were  about  to  hang  the  planter,  Mr.  Bark- 
land,  who  lives  in  the  mansion  yonder;  but  we 
saved  him,  and  sent  him  home." 

"  My  brother  a  prisoner !  "  exclaimed  the  major 
very  sadly. 

He  gave  the  order  to  march,  and  the  first  com- 
pany proceeded  towards  the  planter's  mansion. 


88  IN   THE   SADDLE 


CHAPTER   VII 

PREPARING   FOR    ACTIVE   OPERATIONS 

The  discipline  which  Knox  had  administered 
to  Captain  Titus  had  taken  some  of  the  obstinacy 
out  of  him,  and  he  was  willing  to  march  with  the 
other  prisoners.  AH  of  them  had  been  engaged 
in  the  "Battle  of  Riverlawn,"  as  it  was  called, 
when  the  mob  had  been  driven  away  from  the 
plantation.  They  were  placed  between  a  couple 
of  ranks  of  troopers,  and  no  further  attention  was 
given  to  them  till  the  company  halted,  a  short 
distance  from  the  mansion. 

It  was  the  camp  for- the  night;  and  the  horses 
were  picketed,  the  tents  pitched,  and  a  cordon  of 
sentinels  stationed  around  the  whole.  The  pris- 
oners were  provided  for  as  comfortably  as  the 
soldiers,  and  the  major  had  an  opportunity  to  in- 
quire into  the  situation.  He  had  reached  the 
point  to  which  he  had  been  ordered.  The  region 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  railroad   bridge   had  been 


PREPARING  FOR  ACTIVE  OPERATIONS    89 

examined  by  a  large  body  of  scouts,  and  nothing 
like  an  eneni}^  had  been  discovered.  A  trio  of 
negroes  had  been  seen,  and  they  were  always 
ready  to  tell  all  they  knew  to  persons  wearing 
the  national  uniform. 

There  was  no  military  force  near  the  bridge.' 
After  Knox  had  sent  back  a  messenger  with  the 
information  obtained  from  Cato,  that  "  a  whole 
regiment  "  was  encamped  at  the  right  of  the 
road.  Major  Lyon  had  sent  a  couple  of  trusty 
men  to  examine  the  locality.  These  soldiers 
had  crept  cautiously  into  the  woods,  and  found 
the  force  indicated ;  but  it  consisted  of  only 
a  single  company,  as  they  could  see  by  the 
light  of  the  camp-fires.  They  had  no  tents, 
and  most  of  the  men  were  lying  about  on  the 
ground. 

It  was  now  evident  that  this  was  Captain  Titus's 
company.  They  were  encamped  near  the  railroad ; 
but  there  were  no  bridges  of  any  consequence 
near  them,  and  they  had  doubtless  postponed  the 
work  of  the  expedition  till  the  next  morning. 
Though  the  major  had  never  even  heard  the  name 
of  Mr.  Barkland,  the  planter,  his  brother  must 
have  had  some  information  in  regard  to  him,  or 


90  IN   THE   SADDLE 

he  would  hardly  have  visited  his  mansion  and 
attempted  to  extort  money  from  him. 

Major  Lyon  did  not  care  to  meet  his  brother, 
for  his  conduct  had  been  ejcplained  to  him,  and 
he  was  in  a  bad  frame  of  mind  even  for  him ;  but 
he  ordered  Knox  to  bring  another  of  the  party 
engaged  in  the  outrage  to  his  tent.  He  had 
selected  one  who  apjDeared  to  be  a  reasonable 
man,  and  his  manner  was  quite  different  from 
that  of  the  captain.  The  major  had  seen  him 
before,  but  he  knew  nothing  about  him. 

"  Do  you  belong  to  the  company  encamped  in 
the  woods  farther  down  the  road  ? "  asked  the 
major. 

"How  do  you  know  there  is  any  company 
there?"  demanded  the  fellow,  who  seemed  to  be 
somewhat  surprised  at  the  question. 

"  I  ask  questions,  but  I  don't  answer  them," 
replied  Major  Lyon  with  a  smile. 

"  That's  jest  my  case,"  replied  the  Home  Guards- 
man with  a  capacious  grin.  "  I  don't  tell  all  I 
know  every  day  'n  the  week." 

"You  don't  know  so  much  that  you  couldn't 
tell  it  as  often  as  that,"  added  Captain  Gordon, 
who  was   present  at  the  interview,  and   thought 


PREPARING   FOR   ACTIVE   OPERATIONS  91 

the  major  was  more  pleasant  than  the  occasion 
required. 

"  But  I  know  sunthin'  you  want  to  know," 
chuckled  the  man. 

"  Not  at  all ;  I  know  all  about  your  coin- 
pany,"  said  the  major. 

"  Then  what  did  you  ask  me  if  I  belonged 
to  it  for  ?  " 

"  Knox,  this  man  thinks  he  knows  too  much, 
and  you  may  take  him  away,"  called  the  major 
to  the  sergeant,  who  stood  at  the  door  of  the 
tent. 

"  Oh,  I'm  Avillin'  t'  answer  you,"  grinned  the 
fellow.     "  I  belong  to  that  company." 

"  What  were  you  doing  up  here,  then  ?  " 

"  Cap'n  Titus  thought  the  man  that  lives  on 
this  plantation  had  more  money  'n  he  could 
manage,  and  he  was  willin'  to  help  him  take 
care  on't." 

"•  In  other  words,  you  intended  to  rob  him." 

"I  didn't  intend  nothin'  o'  the  sort.  I  obey 
the  orders  of  the  cap'n.  If  you  want  to  know 
anything  more  about  it,  you'll  have  to  ask 
him." 

"  Is   your   company   the   only   body   of    troops 


92  IN    THE    SADDLE 

about  here  ?  "  asked  the  major,  to  whom  Knox 
had  reported  what  Captain  Titus  said  about 
"  Texan  cavahy." 

"  You'll  have  to  ask  the  cap'n  about  that ; 
for  he  didn't  tell  me  all  he  know'd." 

It  was  evident  that  the  man  knew  nothing  of 
any  importance,  and  the  sergeant  was  directed 
to  send  him  back  to  his  quarters.  At  the  en- 
trance to  the  tent  a  visitor  was  waiting,  who 
proved  to  be  Mr.  Barkland,  and  he  was  promptly 
admitted.  He  expressed  his  obligations  for  the 
imjDortant  service  rendered  to  him,  and  com- 
mended the  energy  of  the  young  man  who 
had  been  foremost  in  saving  him  from  the  fatal 
rope. 

"  These  ruffians  must  have  known  that  you 
had  your  money  concealed  in  the  house,"  sug- 
gested the  major. 

"I  haven't  any  great  amount  in  the  house," 
replied  Mr.  Barkland.  "  I  have  a  bank  account 
in  Louisville,  and  I  had  some  money  in  the 
bank  at  Munfordville ;  but  there  are  so  many 
marauding  parties  about  in  this  section  of  the 
State,  that  I  took  out  the  little  I  had  in  the 
latter,  and  had  it  in  the  house." 


PREPARING   FOR   ACTIVE   OPERATIONS  93 

"  Hardly  a  safe  place  in  these  troublous  times," 
added  Major  Lyon. 

"  Safer  than  that  bank,  I  thought,"  said  the 
planter.  "  I  am  a  Union  man  before  anything 
else  just  now;  and  I  think  some  Secessionist 
connected  with  the  bank  spread  the  news  about 
that  I  had  withdrawn  my  money,  —  only  about 
thirty -five  hundred  dollars,  —  and  the  captain  of 
this  Home  Guard  had  heard  it." 

"  That  was  unfortunate." 

"  It  would  have  been  for  me  if  your  company 
had  not  come  along.  About  dark  half  a  dozen 
of  them  came  to  the  house,  and  wanted  to  get 
some  supper,  which  I  was  willing  to  give  them ; 
for  I  never  turn  away  any  one  who  wants  some- 
thing to  eat.  The  captain  wanted  whiskey,  and 
I  gave  it  to  him ;  but  it  seemed  to  make  him 
crazy,  for  he  did  not  behave  like  a  gentleman." 

"  That  is  apt  to  be  the  effect  of  whiskey," 
added  the  major,  who  was  thinking  of  its  results 
in  the  case  of  his  brother. 

"  Then  they  told  me  I  had  money  in  the  house, 
or  the  captain  did;  for  none  of  the  rest  of  them 
said  anything.  I  replied  that  I  had  no  money 
for  them ;  and  then  the  captain  became  abusive, 


94  IN    THE    SADDLE 

and  threatened  me  if  I  did  not  give  it  up,"  con- 
tinued the  planter.  "  As  I  said,  I  am  a  Union 
man,  and  I  decided  to  let  them  hang  me  to  a 
tree,  as  he  threatened  to  do,  rather  than  give 
up  my  money  to  a  lot  of  traitors,  who  would 
use  it  to  assist  in  pulling  down  the  government 
I  believe  in.  My  wife  and  daughter  begged  me 
to  give  up  the  money ;  but  I  was  firm  to  the  end, 
and  even  when  the  rope  was  around  my  neck." 

"  Your  fate  would  not  have  been  an  uncom- 
mon one  with  Union  men,  unhappily,"  added 
the  major. 

"  Could  I  see  the  young  man  that  was  fore- 
most in  saving  me  ?  I  wish  to  express  my  per- 
sonal gratitude  to  him  for  the  service  ;  for  he 
was  a  brave  fellow,  and  managed  tlie  affair  well, 
or  he  would  have  failed.  The  ruffians  were  six 
to  three ;  but  the  young  man  hit  in  the  right 
place  every  time." 

"  Who  was  he,  Knox  ? "  asked  the  major  of 
the  sergeant,  who  had  listened  to  the  narrative 
while  standing  at  the  entrance  of  the  tent. 

"It  was  Deck,  Major,"  replied  Knox,  with  a 
smile  on  his  wiry  face. 

"Send  for  him." 


I 


PREPARING   FOR   ACTIVE   OPERATIONS  95 

Deck  soon  appeared  in  the  tent;  and  the  planter 
grasped  his  hand,  pouring  out  his  thanks  for  what 
he  had  done.  He  desired  to  take  him  to  his  man- 
sion, that  his  wife  and  daughter  might  have  an 
opportunity  to  express  their  obligations  to  him; 
but  Deck  declined  to  go. 

.  "Now,  Mr.  Barkland,  do  you  know  of  any  other 
body  of  troops  in  this  vicinity  ?  "  asked  the  major, 
changing  the  subject  of  the  conversation. 

"Nothing  within    my   own   knowledge.    Major 
Lyon,"  replied  the  planter.       "Captain  Tites  and. 
his  men  "  — 

"  Captain  who  ?  "  interposed  the  major. 

"  Captain  Tites ;  that  is  what  the  others  called . 
him,  or,  at  least,  the  name  sounded  like  that." 

"  Very  well,  Mr.  Barkland,  go  on,"  replied  the 
chief  of  the  squadron. 

"  They  did  not  speak  out  very  plainly ;  but  they 
alluded  to  a  body  of  Texan  Rangers,  as  they 
called  them,  as  tliough  they  were  somewhere  in 
this  vicinity,"  the  planter  proceeded. 

"  That  captain  spoke  of  them  since  we  took 
him,"  said  Knox. 

"  I  was  just  coming  up  to  headquarters  to  report 
some  information  obtained  by  Sergeant  Decker  at 


96  IN   THE   SADDLE 

the  road,"  interposed  Deck.  "He  stopped  a  negro 
on  horseback,  who  was  going  for  a  doctor.  He 
said  there  was  a  company  of  cavalry,  or  more  of 
them,  camped  about  three  miles  on  the  road  to 
Greensburg.  He  knew  nothing  at  all  about 
them." 

"  It  looks  as  though  there  was  a  considerable 
force  in  this  vicinity,"  added  the  major. 

"  I  have  given  you  all  the  information  in  my 
power,  Major  Lyon,  and  I  will  return  to  my  house. 
If  I  can  be  of  any  service  to  you,  call  upon  me," 
said  Mr.  Barkland,  as  he  took  the  hand  of  the 
commander. 

He  left  the  tent,  and  Deck  soon  followed  him, 
leaving  the  major  and  Captain  Gordon  alone.  On 
the  table  in  the  centre  of  the  tent  was  a  map, 
which  these  two  officers  had  been  consulting  when 
the  guardsman  was  brought  in.  On  it  the  major 
had  made  several  crosses  with  a  red  pencil,  indi- 
cating the  location  of  the  railroad  bridge,  which 
was  believed  to  be  the  objective  point  of  Captain 
Titus's  company,  the  camp  of  this  force,  the  man- 
sion of  the  planter ;  and  now  he  made  another  at 
the  supposed  location  of  the  cavalry  camp  of  the 
enemy. 


PEEPAEING   FOE   ACTIVE   OPEEATIONS  97 

"  There  is  a  prospect  of  some  fighting  in  this 
vicinity  by  to-morrow,"  said  Captain  Gordon,  as 
he  looked  at  the  crosses  on  the  map. 

"  Colonel  Cosgrove  rode  over  to  Riverlawn  yes- 
terday to  inform  me  that  Captain  Titus's  company 
had  left  tlie  day  before,  at  an  early  hour  in  the 
morning,  marching  on  the  railroad.  He  had  just 
obtained  some  news,  which  he  considered  reliable, 
to  the  effect  that  an  order  had  come  up  for  the 
destruction  of  the  railroad  bridges,"  added  Major 
Lyon,  as  he  put  his  pencil  point  on  the  road.  "  It 
was  understood  in  Bowling  Green  that  General 
Buell  was  about  to  send  troops  to  the  southward, 
and  this  is  an  attempt  to  break  up  the  means  of 
transportation  by  rail." 

"  If  there  are  any  Texan  Rangers  about  here, 
they  must  have  been  sent  from  some  other  point," 
said  Captain  Gordon.  "  But  we  know  where  the 
enemy  are,  and  that  is  half  the  battle  under  pres- 
ent circumstances.  The  cavalry  and  the  infantry 
of  the  eixemy  are  at  least  five  miles  apart." 

"  Captain  Truman  has  the  infantry  where  he 
can  put  his  hands  on  them  in  the  morning.  His 
orders  are  to  send  Lieutenant  Gadbury  to  the 
farther  side  of  the  railroad,  with  half  his  company. 


98  IN  THE   SADDLE 

and  station  the  other  half  behind  tliis  knoll,  so 
that  neither  of  them  can  be  seen  from  the  main 
road,  and  to  have  both  forces  in  position  before 
daylight  in  the  morning.  Neither  force  is  to  at- 
tack till  the  enemy  begin  operations  upon  the 
railroad." 

"  I  wondered  that  you  did  not  bag  the  whole  of 
this  company  of  Home  Guards  while  they  were  in 
camp,"  added  the  captain. 

"  Under  the  name  by  which  we  know  them,  I 
am  not  quite  sure  of  their  status ;  and  I  prefer  to 
have  them  make  a  beginning,  which  will  prove 
them  to  be  the  enemies  of  the  government,"  re- 
plied the  major.  "I  gave  Truman  the  most  expli- 
cit orders,  and  I  have  no  doubt  he  will  do  his 
whole  duty.  It  is  a  part  of  my  purpose  to  have 
the  whole  of  Captain  Titus's  company  captured." 

The  major  put  a  good  deal  of  stress  on  the  name 
by  which  his  brother  had  been  called,  for  he  evi- 
dently did  not  like  to  pronounce  liis  real  name. 

"  I  think  your  plan  of  action  will  readily  bring 
about  such  a  result." 

"  I  put  a  low  estimate  upon  the  fighting  charac- 
ter of  the  enemy  in  front  of  Truman ;  but  I  have 
stood  up  before  them,  though  I  believe  they  are 


PREPARING   FOR    ACTIVE   OPERATIONS  99 

better  armed  now  than  wlien  they  attempted  to 
capture  Riverlawn  and  Lyndhall.  Your  company 
will  be  held  in  reserve  for  the  Texans,  if  there 
prove  to  be  any." 

"  I  have  no  doubt,  after  all  I  have  heard,  that 
the  information  in  regard  to  them  is  correct," 
added  the  captain.  "  It  appears  from  their  local- 
ity that  they  are  likely  to  come  to  the  railroad 
by  the  road  which  passes  Mr.  Barkland's  man- 
sion." 

The  major  and  the  captain  arranged  a  plan  for 
the  reception  of  the  Eangers,  and  then  stretched 
themselves  on  their  camp-bed,  to  obtain  a  little 
sleep  before  the  exciting  events  which  were  ex- 
pected the  next  day.  At  about  midnight  the 
sentinel  awoke  them,  saying  that  the  planter  de- 
sired to  see  the  commander.  He  was  admitted, 
and  reported  that  two  men  had  just  been  to  his 
house  to  inquire  for  "  Captain  Tites."  One  of 
them,  he  said,  was  Lieutenant  Lagger,  in  com- 
mand of  the  company  in  the  absence  of  the 
captain. 

Major  Lyon  turned  over  and  went  to  sleep 
again,  satisfied  that  Buck  Lagger  would  begin 
operations  in  tlie  morning. 


100  IN    THE    SADDLE 


CHAPTER   VIII 

THE  ACTION   BY   THE    RAILROAD   BRIDGE 

^■%  It  was  hardly  daylight  the  next  morning  when 

Major  Lyon  sprang  from  his  camp-bed.  The 
first  thing  he  recalled  was  the  visit  to  his  tent 
in  the  nisfht  of  Mr.  Barkland.  He  thouofht  it 
was  rather  strange  that  Captain  Titus  had  not 
brouglit  his  lieutenant,  as  it  now  appeared  that 
he  was  in  reality,  as  he  had  been  before  only  in  ap- 
pearance; for  he  was  a  ruffian  of  the  rudest  stripe. 

Three  months  before  he  had  attempted  to  shoot 
Levi  Bedford,  the  major's  faithful  overseer,  as 
he  drove  past  his  house ;  and  he  had  been  his 
brother's  principal  supporter  in  the  attacks  of 
the  mob  upon  Riverlawn  and  Lyndhall.  He  was 
just  the  desperado  for  such  work  as  that  in  wdiich 
the  commander  of  the  Home  Guards  had  engaged 
the  evening  before. 

"  Sentinel  J "  called  the  major  to  the  guard  at 
headquarters. 


THE   ACTION    P.Y   THE   RAILROAD   BRIDGE     101 

"  Here,  Major  !  "  replied  the  soldier. 

"Send  for  Dexter  and  Artemas  L3^on.  Have 
them  report  at  headquarters  mounted,"  added  the 
major,  as  he  proceeded  to  complete  his  simple 
toilet. 

The  "  assembly "  was  not  sounded  that  morn- 
ing, lest  the  noise  should  be  heard  in  some  other 
camp;  but  all  the  men  had  been  called  verbally, 
and  were  getting  ready  for  the  business  of  tlie 
day.  The  troopers  assigned  to  that  duty  were 
watering  the  horses  at  a  brook  which  flowed 
through  the  plantation,  and  others  were  striking 
the  tents.  A  number  of  pickets  on  foot  had 
patrolled  the  roads  for  a  mile  from  the  camp,  but 
there  had  been  no  alarm  during  the  night.  Deck 
and  Artie  promptly  reported  at  the  major's  tent 
as  they  had  been  ordered  to  do. 

"  Good-morning,  boys,"  said  their  father.  "  Do 
you  know  where  the  railroad  bridge  over  the 
creek  is?" 

"I  do,"  replied  Deck. 

"I  have  a  message  for  Captain  Truman.  You 
will  find  his  company  in  two  divisions  this  morn- 
ing, one  on  each  side  of  the  bridge,  and  both  of 
J  them  are  in  concealment  by  this  time  in  the  morn- 


102  IN   THE   SADDLE 

ing.  The  captain  is  beliind  the  hill,  just  this  side 
of  the  creek.  Do  you  think  you  can  find  him?" 
,    "  I  know  I  can,"  replied  Deck. 

"  You  must  remember  that  he  is  keeping  his 
men  out  of  sight.  My  message  is  for  him  alone. 
He  is  not  aware  that  Captain  Titus  and  his  com- 
panions at  the  mansion  were  captured  last  night. 
Wliether  the  work  will  be  carried  on  by  his  first 
lieutenant  or  not,  I  don't  know.  This  officer  is 
Buck  Lagger;  and  I  know  that  he  will  be  glad 
to  get  the  command  of  the  company,  even  for 
a  short  time.  I  believe  he  will  begin  the  de- 
struction of  the  bridge  early  this  morning;  for, 
according  to  Levi  Bedford,  Buck  believes  he  is  a 
bigger  man  and  an  abler  captain  than  his  supe- 
rior officer." 

"  I  have  no  doubt  if  there  is  any  mischief  to 
be  done,  Buck  will  do  it  as  soon  as  possible," 
added  Deck. 

"  But  if  lie  fails  to  do  so,  tell  Captain  Truman 
to  move  over  to  the  camp  they  occupied  last 
night,  and  to  keep  his  eye  on  the  company.  You 
will  also  inform  him  that  there  is  a  company  of 
Texan  cavalry  in  camp  about  three  miles  to 
the    south-east    of    us,  and    they    will    probably 


THE   ACTION    BY    THE    RAILROAD    BRIDGE      103 

be  on  the  move  this  morning,"  continued  Major 
Lyon. 

"  Texan  cavalry  ! "  exclaimed  Deck. 

"Music  somewhere  here  to-day,"  added  Artie 
with  a  smile. 

"  The  first  company  will  be  between  this  enemy 
and  the  second  company,  and  you  wall  tell  Cap- 
tain Truman  to  give  no  attention  to  them.  Now 
go  as  soon  as  possible,"  added  the  major;  and  the 
boys  started  on  their  mission. 

The  horses  were  in  excellent  condition,  and  the 
'boys  were  pleased  to  have  something  to  do  that 
brought  them  out  of  the  ranks  for  a  time.  The 
section  of  country  which  one  could  take  in  from 
tlie  hill  on  which  the  mansion  of  the  planter  was 
located,  included  the  railway  and  two  common 
roads.  South  of  the  railroad,  and  extending  in 
the  same  general  direction,  was  the  road  by  which 
the  command  had  marched  from  Riverlawn. 

The  camp  of  the  Home  Guards  was  at  the  south 
of  it,  and  half  a  mile  from  it ;  for  it  appeared  to 
have  been  a  part  of  the  purpose  of  Captain  Titus 
to  conceal  his  force.  The  half-dozen  shots  which 
had  been  fired  as  the  troopers  passed  came  from 
a  party  of  strollers,  it  afterwards  appeared;  and 


104  IN   THE   SADDLE 

Buck  Lagger,  in  charge  of  the  camp,  nad  not  dis- 
covered the  presence  of  tlie  cavalry  from  Kiver- 
lawn. 

At  the  point  where  Cato  had  been  first  seen, 
and  who  had  given  the  information  in  regard  to 
the  outrage  at  the  mansion,  the  road  to  the  south 
branched  off,  or  rather  crossed  the  other  at  right 
angles.  On  this  one  was  the  mansion  of  Mr. 
Barkland,  and  about  three  miles  farther  south  was 
the  reported  camp  of  the  Texans.  Deck  had  had 
no  opportunity  to  study  the  panorama  of  the 
region  as  it  might  be  seen  in  the  daytime  from  the 
hill  by  the  planter's  house,  for  the  darkness  shut 
off  his  view. 

The  camp  of  the  first  company  was  on  the  south 
road,  and  the  boys  rode  in  the  direction  of  the  rail- 
road bridge.  The  day  was  breaking  in  the  east, 
but  it  was  not  light  enough  to  see  distinctly  the 
prominent  object  in  the  vicinity.  They  could 
make  out  the  hill  where  they  expected  to  find 
Captain  Truman,  but  not  the  one  on  the  other 
side  of  the  railroad. 

"  Hold  on.  Deck ! "  said  Artie,  when  they  came 
to  the  crossing  of  the  roads.  "  I  hear  a  noise  off 
towards  the  west." 


TITE    ACTION    BY    THE    RAILROAD    BRIDGE      105 

"  It  is  the  tramp  of  men's  feet ;  but  that  is  none 
of  our  affair,"  replied  Deck. 

"  I  have  no  doubt  it  is  the  Home  Guards,"  added 
Artie. 

"  I  know  it  is ;  didn't  father  say  they  were 
to  come  over  here  to  do  their  work?  We  can 
report  to  Captain  Truman  that  the  enemy  are 
approacliing,  and  he  will  be  glad  to  get  the 
information." 

Deck  started  his  horse ;  but  they  had  been 
directed  to  move  with  as  little  noise  as  possible, 
and  they  could  not  hurry.  They  took  the  cross- 
road, and  the  hill  was  on  the  right,  and  the  rail- 
road bridge  on  the  left  of  it.  Leaving  the  road, 
they  struck  into  the  field,  and  moved  toward  the 
station  of  the  first  half  of  the  second  company. 

"Who  comes  there?"  called  a  voice  from  the 
grove  that  surrounded  the  hill. 

"Friends,"  replied  Deck. 

"  Advance,  friends,  and  give  the  countersign." 

"Riverlawn,"  answered  Deck,  giving  the  word 
that  had  been  selected  the  day  before^  "  We  have 
a  message  for  Captain  Truman  from  Major  Lyon. 
Where  is  he  ?  " 

"Not  far  from  here,"  replied  Blenks,  who  was 


106  IN   THE   SADDLE 

in   charge  of    tlie   picket   line..    "I   will    conduct • 
you  to  him." 

They  found  the  captain  seated  on  his  horse, 
apart  fi'om  his  command,  eating  his  breakfast  from 
his  haversack.  The  men  were  all  mounted,  and 
in  readiness  for  immediate  service,  though  they 
were  standing  at  ease,  some  of  them  taking  their 
morning  meal. 

"  Good-morning,  Deck,"  said  Captain  Truman, 
as  he  recognized  his  early  visitors.  "  You  left 
your  bunk  in  good  time  this  morning." 

"We  are  the  bearers  of  orders  from  Major 
Lyon,"  replied  Deck,  who  was  in  the  habit  of 
doing  most  of  the  talking,  though  Artie  had  a 
tongue  of  his  own  ;  and  he  repeated  all  the  orders 
and  all  the  information  with  which  they  had  been 
charged. 

"  Captain  Titus  a  prisoner ! "  exclaimed  the 
captain,  when  he  had  finished.  "  Then  it  remains 
to  be  proved  whether  or  not  Lieutenant  Buck 
Lagger  will  execute  the  orders  received  by  Cap- 
tain Titus." 

"We  heard  them  down  the  road  as  we  came 
along,"  said  Artie. 

"  I  have  no  doubt  they  will  be  at  work  within 


THE   ACTION   BY  THE   RAILROAD   BRIDGE     107 

half  an  hour,"  added  Deck.  "  But  we  must  liuny 
back,  for  our  company  will  move  farther  to  the 
south,  I  think,  judging  from  the  message  we 
brought  to  you," 

"But  you  can't  go  now,  for  you  will  meet  the 
Home  Guards  by  the  time  you  get  to  the  south 
road.  The  ruffians  would  be  glad  to  get  a  couple 
of  prisoners  like  you  and  Artie ;  for  then  Buck 
Lagger  could  exchange  you  both  for  his  captain." 

"Such  an  arrangement  would  not  suit  Buck 
Lagger  at  all,"  replied  Deck.  "  When  Levi  Bed- 
ford brought  Buck  to  the  fort  at  Riverlawn,  after 
he  attempted  to  kill  him  on  the  road,  the  villain 
did  not  speak  very  handsomely  of  his  captain,  but 
said  he  should  soon  be  in  command  of  the  company 
himself." 

"  Be  that  as  it  may,  you  ought  not  to  throw 
yourselves  into  the  midst  of  these  ruffians,"  the 
captain  insisted.  "  If  they  don't  capture  you, 
they  would  take  great  pleasure  in  abusing  you." 

"Mounted  as  we  are,  I  think  we  could  take  care 
of  ourselves  against  the  whole  of  them,"  answered 
Deck. 

The  soldiers  of  the  squadron  had  an  utter  con- 
tempt for  the  fighting  qualities  of  this  company, 


108  IN   THE   SADDLE 

and  Deck  and  Artie  shared  it  with  the  others. 
But  the  captain  protested  so  earnestly  against 
their  exposing  themselves  to  a  needless  peril,  that 
they  agreed  to  wait  behind  some  bushes  near  the 
south  road  till  the  company  had  passed.  They 
would  gladly  have  learned  something  more  in 
regard  to  the  plan  of  the  captain ;  but  he  was  as 
reticent  as  military  men  usually  are,  and  kept  his 
own  counsel.  The  messengers  rode  to  the  knoll 
covered  with  bushes  which  they  had  observed  near 
the  road  when  they  entered  the  field. 

"  We  shall  have  a  chance  to  see  something  of 
this  affiiir,"  said  Deck,  as  he  stopped  his  horse 
at  a  point  where  the  bushes  would  conceal  them 
from  those  passing  in  the  road. 

"  Do  you  suppose  the  first  company  will  remain 
where  they  are  for  any  length  of  time?"  asked 
Artie. 

"  Father  didn't  say  anything  about  that ;  but  I 
imagine  he  will  put  the  company  in  a  position  to 
meet  the  Texans." 

"  There  they  come  !  "  exclaimed  Artie.  "  They 
are  just  turning  into  tlie  south  road.  Buck  Lag- 
ger  looks  big  enough  to  be  a  brigadier-geneial." 

"  But  they  are  straggling  along  as  though  they 


THE   ACTION    BY   THE    RAILROAD   BRIDGE     100 

were  going  to  a  picnic,"  added  Deck.  "  There 
are  some  of  them  half  a  mile  in   the  rear." 

Then  the  boys  observed  two  wagons  drawn  by 
mules,  and  the  stragglers  appeared  to  be  the 
guard  for  their  protection.  Buck  Lagger  led  the 
compact  portion  of  his  command,  who  were  armed 
with  axes  as  Avell  as  muskets.  The  south  road 
ran  under  the  railroad  bridge,  and  the  Guard 
halted  there.  The  lieutenant  lost  no  time  in  be- 
ginning his  work.  A  portion  of  the  men  went 
to  work  at  the  abutment,  trying  to  remove  some 
of  the  stones  in  the  Avail,  evidently  with  the  inten- 
tion of  blowing  up  the  end  of  the  structure  when 
the  wagons  arrived  with  the  poAvder. 

About  one-half  of  the  men  were  sent  to  the 
platform  of  the  bridge,  climbing  up  the  embank- 
ment a  short  distance  beyond  the  wall.  As  soon 
as  they  reached  the  wooden  portion  of  the  bridge, 
they  began  to  pull  up  the  planks  of  the  platform, 
and  toss  them  over  into  the  creek,  a  work  Avhich 
would  not  at  all  interfere  Avith  the  usefulness  of 
the  structure  for  the  passage  of  trains.  These 
men  were  in  so  elevated  a  position  that  the  boys 
could  distinctly  see  their  operations. 

Then  they  heard  the  crack  of  a  rifle,  and  one 


110  IN   THE   SADDLE 

of  the  soldiers  dropped  from  the  bridge  into  the 
creek.  This  single  effective  shot  was  followed 
by  a  volley;  and,  thougli  they  could  not  be  seen, 
it  was  clear  that  Lieutenant  Gadbury  had  led  his 
command  to  the  front,  and  they  had  opened  fire 
on  the  destroyers  of  the  bridge.  His  men  were 
good  marksmen ;  for  not  a  few  of  them  were  hunt- 
ers, and  they  had  had  abundant  practice  at  the 
camp. 

"  They  can't  stand  much  of  that  sort  of  thing," 
said  Deck,  much  excited  by  what  he  saw. 

"  Not  they ;  they  are  coming  down  from  the 
bridge  now,"  added  Artie. 

"  Here  come  the  rest  of  the  company,"  ex- 
claimed Deck,  as  Captain  Truman,  followed  by 
his  fifty  men  by  fours,  dashed  through  the  field 
at  full  gallop.  "I  reckon  I  don't  stay  here  any 
longer." 

"But  the  baggage-train  of  tlie  enemy  has  not 
come  up  yet,"  suggested  Artie. 

"  But  I  want  to  see  what  is  going  on,  and  we 
can't  see  anything  in  the  road  from  here,  and  that 
is  where  the  figlit  is  going  to  be,"  returned  Deck, 
who  was  far  more  excited  than  his  brother.  "  I 
suppose  Lieutenant  Gadbury  is  coming  down   to 


THE   ACTION   BY  THE   KAILROAD   BKIDGE     111 

the  bridge  from  the  north,  and  now  Captain  Tru- 
man is  approaching  it  from  the  south.  They  will 
have  it  out  there." 

Both  divisions  of  the  company  halted  at  some 
distance  from  the  enemy,  and  began  to  pour  a 
murderous  fire  into  them,  crushed  as  they  were 
between  the  upper  and  nether  millstones.  The 
plan  of  INIajor  Lyon  had  been  carried  out  to  the 
letter.  The  Guards  returned  the  fire  with  all  the 
energy  they  could  muster ;  but  it  was  very  soon 
evident  that  their  weapons  were  doing  little  harm 
to  the  cavalry. 

"This  is  little  better  than  wholesale  murder!"  ex- 
claimed Captain  Truman ;  and  he  sent  the  second 
lieutenant,  with  half  his  men,  into  the  field,  with 
orders  to  charge  the  enemy  in  concert  with  him. 

This  charge  was  made ;  and  the  enemy  were 
ridden  down  by  the  horsemen,  till  they  cried  out 
for  quarter.  Buck  Lagger  lay  dead  upon  the 
ground,  with  not  less  than  a  dozen  others,  while 
half  the  rest  of  them  were  wounded.  The  vic- 
tory was  complete,  and  the  cavalrymen  were  only 
sorry  they  had  not  met  a  foe  worthy  of  their 
steel.  Eight  of  them  were  wounded,  two  of  them 
severely. 


112  IN  THE   SADDLE 


CHAPTER  IX 

AN   ENCOUNTER   WITH   THE   ENEMY's   SCOUTS 

The  baggage-train  of  the  Guards  had  seen 
from  a  distance  that  the  battle  had  begun,  and 
they  had  halted  in  the  road.  They  still  blocked 
the  way  for  Deck  and  Artie;  but  they  could  no 
longer  remain  as  spectators  to  the  exciting  scene 
which  had  just  transpired,  and  had  ridden  down 
to  the  field  of  action;  but  the  fighting  had  ceased. 
The  cavalrymen  were  picking  up  their  wounded ; 
and  Dr.  Farnwright,  the  surgeon  of  the  battalion, 
was  attendi]ig  to  their  needs. 

"  Well,  boys,  this  affair  seems  to  be  finished  ; 
and  we  made  very  short  work  of  it,"  said  Captain 
Truman,  as  they  rode  up  to  the  spot  where  he  was 
observing  the  labors  of  the  men. 

"  We  have  seen  the  whole  of  it,  and  now  we  are 
ready  to  return  to  our  company,"  replied  Deck. 

"  The  road  is  clear  now,  and  there  is  nothing  to 
prevent  your  return." 


AN   ENCOUNTER   WITH   THE   ENEMY's   SCOUTS    113 

"  The  wagons  of  the  enemy  have  halted  in  the 
road,  and  there  seems  to  be  half-a-dozen  men  or 
more  in  charge  of  them,"  said  Deck. 

"  I  will  send  a  squad  to  bring  them  in,"  replied 
the  captain,  as  he  called  a  sergeant  near  him,  and 
directed  him  to  take  ten  men  and  perform  this 
duty.  "You  will  go  with  Sergeant  Langford, 
boys,  and  I  think  you  will  be  all  right." 

"  Have  you  any  message  for  the  major,  Cap- 
tain? "  asked  Deck, 

"  You  have  seen  the  skirmish  yourselves,  and 
you  can  report  it  as  it  was.  We  were  fired  upon 
smartly  for  a  time ;  but  the  muskets  of  the  enemy 
were  of  all  sorts  and  kinds,  and  most  of  them 
good  for  nothing.  We  have  eight  men  wounded, 
two  of  them  badly,  and  the  rest  slightly.  Ser- 
geant Langford  has  just  reported  to  me  that  the 
enemy  lost  eight  men  killed,  and  fifteen  wounded, 
some  of  them  fatally.  The  rest  of  the  command 
are  prisoners." 

Sergeant  Langford  appeared  with  his  ten  men, 
and  the  boys  went  with  him  on  their  return  to 
their  compan3^  It  was  not  yet  sunrise,  and  the 
principal  task  of  the  morning  had  been  accom- 
plished ;   for  the  action   had  lasted  hardly  more 


114  IN  THE   SADDLE 

than  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  Lieutenant  Blenks 
was  compelling  the  Guards  to  pick  up  and  care  for 
their  own  wounded,  and  to  bury  their  dead.  The 
men  were  sulky,  and  the  cavalrymen  were  com- 
pelled to  drive  them  to  this  duty. 

"  It  was  sharp  work  for  a  few  minutes,"  said 
Langford  to  the  boys,  after^he  had  called  them  to 
liis  side. 

"It  was;  but  the  thing  was  very  handsomely 
done,"  replied  Deck.  "I  think  these  ruffians  have 
had  quite  enough  of  it." 

"  They  are  as  sulky  as  a  bear  that  has  lost  her 
cubs.  They  were  not  willing  to  pick  up  their 
own  dead  and  wounded,  and  wanted  our  boys  to 
do  it  for  them ;  but  a  few  slaps  with  the  flat  of 
the  sabres  brought  them  to  the  point,"  added  the 
sergeant.  "  I  suppose  the  work  in  this  quarter  is 
done  now." 

"I  think  not.  I  doubt  whether  we  have  fin- 
ished," replied  Deck;  but  he  said  nothing  about 
the  Texan  Rangers,  for  he  did  not  feel  at  liberty 
to  use  the  information  he  had  obtained  as  a 
messenger. 

The  wagons  of  the  enemy  had  halted  where  the 
men  in  charge  of  them  could  see  what  had  hap- 


AN   ENCOUNTER    WITH    THE    ENEMY'S    SCOUTS     115 

pened  at  the  bridge ;  but  when  the  sergeant's 
squad  approached  them,  they  brought  their  mus- 
kets to  their  shoulders,  as  though  tliey  intended 
to  defend  their  property. 

"  Unsling  carbines  !  "  called  Langford  to  his 
men;  and  they  promptly  obeyed  the  order. 

But  the  baggage  guard  did  not  fire ;  for  some 
one  among  them  seemed  to  have  more  sense  than 
the  others,  and  had  interposed  to  prevent  a  useless 
sacrifice  of  life.  A  dispute  followed  among  them, 
and  the  sergeant  advanced  upon  them. 

"  No  more  jaw  !  "  interposed  Langford.  "  Start 
your  mules,  and  go  ahead  !  " 

"Where  are  we  going?  We  ain't  no  use  over 
there  now,"  said  one  of  the  men. 

"You  are  no  use  anywhere !  Start  your  teams ! " 
added  Langford,  as  he  slapped  the  last  speaker  with 
the  flat  of  his  sabre.     "  Shove  them  along,  boys  ! ' ' 

"We  ain't  goin'  over  there;  we'll  turn  round 
and  go  back  where  we  come  from,"  added  the 
spokesman  of  the  party. 

"  Are  you  all  idiots  ? "  demanded  Langford. 
"  Your  wag-ons  are  wanted  over  at  the  bridge, 
and  that  is  where  you  are  going." 

The  troopers  soon  started  the  teams  with  a  vig- 


116  IN   THE   SADDLE 

orous  use  of  the  flat  sides  of  their  sabres.  The 
guardsmen  were  disposed  to  resist ;  but  they  were 
vigorously  pushed  forward,  and  when  a  fellow 
hung  back,  he  was  gently  pricked  with  the  point 
of  the  sharp  weapons. 

"  I  believe  a  good  part  of  these  ruffians  are 
idiots,  as  Langford  suggested,"  said  Deck,  as  he 
and  Artie  rode  forward.  "  They  don't  seem  to 
understand  that  they  are  taking  part  in  the  war." 

"  That's  so,"  replied  Artie,  laughing.  "  If  they 
find  they  cannot  destroy  the  bridge,  all  they  have 
to  do  is  to  go  back  where  they  came  from,  and  call 
it  square.  But  Langford  has  brought  them  to 
their  senses." 

A  smart  gallop  of  a  few  minutes  brought  the 
messengers  in  sight  of  the  mansion-house  of  the 
plantation.  The  first  company  was  not  where  they 
had  left  it  in  the  early  morning ;  but  they  soon 
discovered  a  couple  of  the  men,  who  seemed  to  be 
patrolling  the  south  road. 

"  Where  is  the  company,  Yowell?"  asked  Deck, 
when  they  came  within  speaking  distance. 

"  Behind  the  mansion.  We  were  sent  down  to 
look  for  you,"  replied  the  soldier.  "  Major  Lyon 
was  afraid  something  had  happened  to  you." 


AN  ENCOUNTER   WITH  THE  ENEMY's   SCOUTS    117 

"  We  are  all  right.  Have  you  seen  any  of  the 
enemy  up  this  way?  " 

"  Not  a  man  of  them.  If  you  take  this  path  it 
will  bring  you  to  the  house,  and  you  will  find,  the 
major  there." 

The  boys  took  the  path  indicated,  and  put  their 
horses  to  their  best  speed.  When  they  came  to 
the  house,  they  were  greeted  in  the  yard  by  the 
planter  and  his  family,  and  the  ladies  poured 
forth  their  gratitude  to  Deck  for  the  service 
he  had  rendered  the  evening  before.  But  the 
young  cavalryman  could  not  stop  to  listen  long 
to  them. 

"  Where  is  Major  Lyon  ?  "  he  asked,  looking 
about  him. 

"  He  is  on  the  top  of  the  house,"  replied  Mr. 
Barkland. 

"  Come  up  here,  both  of  you ! "  shouted  the 
major  from  his  elevated  position. 

Giving  the  reins  of  their  bridles  to  the  orderly, 
who  was  there  with  the  commander's  horse,  Mr. 
Barkland  showed  them  the  way  to  a  platform  on 
the  roof  of  the  mansion,  from  which  a  full  view  of 
the  surrounding  country  was  obtained ;  only  the 
railroad  bridge  was  shut  out  by  a  hill. 


118  IN   THE   SADDLE 

"What  makes  you  so  late,  boys?"  asked  the 
major,  as  they  presented  themselves  before  him. 

"  The  baggage-train  of  the  enemy  stopped  in 
the  road,  with  half-a-dozen  men  in  charge  of  it,  so 
that  we  could  not  pass  it  without  a  fight,"  replied 
Deck. 

"Has  anything  been  done  at  the  bridge?"  asked 
the  commander  anxiously. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  the  battle  has  been  fought  and  won, 
and  the  whole  company  of  Home  Guards  are  pris- 
oners," replied  Deck,  giving  the  entire  story  all 
in  a  heap. 

"That  is  good  news,  though  I  expected  no  other 
result.     What  was  our  loss  ?  " 

"  None  killed;  eight  wounded,  two  of  them  seri- 
ously, the  others  slightly.  The  enemy's  loss  is 
eight  killed  and  fifteen  wounded,  some  of  them 
fatally,"  replied  Deck,  who  had  studied  over  the 
report  of  the  fight  he  was  to  make;  and  then  he 
proceeded  to  give  the  details  of  the  affair. 

This  was  in  the  beginning  of  the  war,  and 
before  any  battle  of  magnitude  had  been  fought, 
so  that  the  action  at  the  railroad  bridge  seemed 
to  be  a  considerable  affair.  The  major  listened 
with  deep  interest  to  all  the  particulars.     Doubt- 


AN   ENCOUNTER   WITH   THE  ENEMY's   SCOUTS    119 

less  he  was  pleased  with  the  report  of  the  'result ; 
but  he  frequently  raised  the  field-glass  in  his 
hands  to  his  eyes  as  he  listened,  and  it  was  evident 
that  he  was  more  concerned  in  regai-d  to  the 
approach  of  the  enemy  from  the  south. 

He  put  several  questions  to  the  boys,  which 
were  answered  by  both  of  them,  and  fully  in- 
formed himself  in  regard  to  the  situation  at  the 
bridge,  which  was  about  three  miles  distant  from 
the  mansion. 

"  You  will  both  return  to  the  bridge ;  give  my 
order  to  Captain  Truman  to  leave  a  sufficient  force 
on  the  ground  to  guard  the  prisoners,  to  dispose 
of  the  dead  and  wounded,  and  then  to  join  me  at 
this  place  with  all  the  men  that  can  be  spared," 
said  the  major. 

The  boys  saluted  him,  and  hastened  to  obey  the 
order.  In  a  few  minutes  they  were  galloping 
over  the  road  again.  On  their  way  down  tlie 
stairs  they  met  Captain  Gordon  on  his  way  to  the 
roof.  He  had  been  the  recruiting  ofi&cer  sent  by 
the  commanding  general  of  the  department  to 
organize  the  first  company,  and  the  major  had 
used  all  his  influence  to  elect  him  to  the  office  he 
filled  himself.     He  had  declined  the  position,  for 


120  IN   THE   SADDLE 

he  thought  it  better  that  the  planter  of  Riverlawn 
should  fill  that  place.  He  had  an  apartment  at 
the  major's  mansion,  and  they  had  been  on  the 
most  intimate  terms  from  the  beginning. 

"I  have  posted  Lieutenant  Belthorpe  behind 
the  hill,"  said  Captain  Gordon,  as  he  saluted  his 
superior  officer.  "  I  have  given  him  full  instruc- 
tions." 

"  I  have  just  sent  for  Captain  Truman  and  as 
many  of  the  second  company  as  can  be  spared," 
replied  Major  Lyon.  "  They  have  beaten  Captain 
Titus's  command,  and  captured  the  whole  of 
them." 

"  Can  you  make  out  any  movement  of  the 
enemy  to  the  south  of  us,  Major  Lyon?"  asked 
the  captain. 

"Nothing  yet.  Everything  is  in  readiness,  I 
suppose,  to  carry  out  our  plan." 

"  Everything ;  and  the  men  are  in  fine  spirits." 

"  The  only  thing  I  fear  is  that  the  Rangers  will 
take  the  other  road  to  the  bridge,"  suggested  the 
major. 

"  But  that  would  make  the  distance  at  least  two 
miles  farther,"  replied  Captain  Gordon.  "Can 
it  be  possible  that  the  commander  of  the  Rangers 


AN   ENCOUNTER   WITH   THE    ENEMY'S    SCOUTS    121 

lias  obtained  information  of  our  presence  here,  and 
of  the  result  of  the  affair  at  the  bridge  ?" 

"  I  think  not ;  and  yet  it  is  possible,  for  not 
many  in  command  could  be  so  neglectful  of  all 
reasonable  precautions  as  Captain  Titus  was." 

"  If  they  come  this  way,  we  are  all  ready  for 
them.  I  have  scouts  out  to  the  eastward  of  our 
position,  who  will  report  to  us  the  passage  of  any 
force  by  the  east  road,  as  they  call  it  here,"  con- 
tinued the  captain.  "  The  Texans  are  not  early 
risers,  or  we  should  have  seen  them  by  this  time. 
I  will  return  to  my  company,  and  await  further 
orders." 

The  boys  understood  the  necessity  of  haste,  and 
in  less  than  fifteen  minutes  their  foaming  steeds 
brought  them  into  the  presence  of  Captain  Tru- 
man, to  whom  they  delivered  their  message.  He 
had  already  reduced  everything  to  a  condition 
of  order.  The  wounded  had  been  removed  to  a 
deserted  shanty,  probably  used  by  the  railroad 
workmen,  and  the  prisoners  were  surrounded  by 
a  guard  of  twenty  men.  All  was  quiet  on  the 
ground,  and  the  captain  was  glad  to  receive  the 
order  brought  by  the  messengers. 

Lieutenant  Blenks  had  already  been  placed  in 


L 


122  IN    THE    SADDLE 

command  of  the  camp,  and  the  captain  gave  the 
order  for  Lieutenant  Gadbuiy  to  have  his  men 
in  marching  order  at  once ;  and  twenty  men  from 
the  second  pLatoon  were  added  to  their  number. 
But  Deck  and  Artie  did  not  wait  for  this  body- 
to  move,  but  started  at  once  on  their  return ;  for 
they  were  anxious  to  be  present  in  any  engage- 
ment that  might  take  place.  They  had  little 
compassion  for  their  horses,  fond  as  they  were 
of  them,  and  dashed  down  the  road  at  their  best 
speed. 

"  Hi ! "  exclaimed  Artie,  as  they  reached  the 
cross-road. 

"What  is  it,  Artie?"  asked  Deck,  who  was 
looking  to  the  right. 

"Don't  you  see  ?  There  are  a  couple  of  mounted 
men  wearing  the  gray ! "  exclaimed  Artie  with 
energy. 

"What  are  they?"  asked  Deck. 

"What  are  they?  It  is  as  plain  as  a  stone 
wall  to  a  blind  man  after  .he  has  stumbled  over 
it,  that  they  are  the  Texans  who  are  expected 
over  here." 

"  Are  there  only  two  of  them  ? "  asked  Deck 
facetiously.      "  Your    head    is    level,    Artie,    and 


"One  of  the  Texaus  tumbled  from  his  horse/ 


Page.  12^ 


AN    ENCOUNTER    WITH    THE    ENEMY'S    SCOUTS     123 

they  are  a  couple  of  scouts  who  are  feeliug  the 
way  for  a  bigger  body  farther  back." 

Just  at  that  moment  a  bullet  whistled  between 
the  two  boys ;  for  the  scouts  could  have  no  diffi- 
culty in  making  out  the  uniform  of  the  two 
messengers.  Both  of  them  unslung  their  car- 
bines ;  and,  without  considering  what  consequences 
might  ensue,  both  of  them  fired,  Artie  delivering 
the  first  shot.  One  of  the  Texans  tumbled  from 
his  horse,  and  Deck  aimed  at  the  other;  but  he 
was  less  fortunate  in  his  discharge,  for  the  remain- 
ing man  still  clung  to  his  horse.  Raising  his 
carbine,  he  fired. 

"  I  am  hit,"  said  Deck,  as  he  held  up  his  left 
arm. 

The  man  who  had  delivered  his  fire  wheeled 
his  horse  as  soon  as  he  had  done  so,  and  galloped 
back  by  the  way  he  came. 


124  IN   THE   SADDLE 


CHAPTER   X 

THE  BATTLE  BEGUIST  AT   THE   CROSS-ROADS 

Deck  and  Artie  Lyon  were  not  veterans  in 
military  service ;  but  on  several  occasions  during 
the  preceding  six  months  they  had  been  within 
the  reach  of  flying  bullets.  They  had  not  be- 
come hardened  to  the  whizzing,  boring  sound 
they  make  in  their  passage  through  the  air,  for 
they  carried  wounds  and  death  in  their  train ; 
but  they  had  considered  and  talked  about  the 
chances  of  being  hit,  and  fully  realized  the  pos- 
sible consequences. 

"  We  are  in  the  hands  of  the  good  Lord,"  Noah 
Lyon  used  to  say ;  "  and  if  it  be  his  will  that  we 
suddenly  pass  the  portals  that  divide  the  seen 
from  the  unseen,  or  that  we  languish  for  weeks 
or  months  upon  the  couch  of  j^ain,  we  can  only 
submit  to  the  divine  will ;  and  all  we  have  to 
do  is  faithfully  to  discharge  our  duty  to  God  and 
our  country.     God  and  our  country  !     Let  this  be 


THE   BATTLE   BEGUN  AT  THE   CROSS-ROADS     125 

our  watchword,  boys ;  and  with  it  on  our  tongues 
and  in  our  hearts,  we  ought  to  fear  no  danger." 

Some  appear  to  be  brave  in  mere  bravado,  and 
the  pride  of  many  gives  them  courage :  but  the 
bravest  men  are  those  who  are  earnestly  devoted 
to  the  discharge  of  their  duty ;  for  principle  gen- 
erates courage  when  it  is  founded  upon  religious 
faith.  It  was  in  this  firm  reliance  that  the  father 
had  schooled  his  sons.  He  was  a  faithful  apostle, 
and  they  were  loving  disciples. 

"  Where  are  you  hit,  Deck  ? "  asked  Artie, 
full  of  anxiety  in  regard  to  his  brother,  though 
he  could  see  that  he  was  not  very  severely 
wounded. 

"Right  in  the  arm,  half-way  between  the  wrist 
and  the  elbow,"  replied  Deck  with  a  smile;  for 
the  time  had  come  for  him  to  feel  something  of 
what  had  only  been  talked  about  before.  "  It 
won't  amount  to  much,  though  it  doesn't  feel 
good." 

"  Let  me  see  it,  and  I  will  fix  it  up  as  well  as 
I  can,"  added  Artie,  as  he  wheeled  his  horse  till 
he  was  at  the  side  of  his  companion. 

The  noble  steeds  stood  as  quietly  as  though 
they  understood  what  had  occurred,  while  Artie 


126  IN    THE    SADDLE 

rolled  up  the  sleeve  of  the  jacket,  and  disclosed 
the  wound.  The  fond  and  devoted  mother  had 
provided  each  of  them  with  a  bandage  and  a 
handful  of  lint,  and  she  had  even  practised  them 
in  doing  up  a  leg  and  an  arm.  Artie  wiped  away 
the  blood,  and  then  applied  the  lint,  around  which 
he  wound  the  bandage,  as  he  had  been  instructed. 

"  It  is  not  a  bad  wound,  as  you  say.  Deck,  and 
I  hope  you  will  never  have  a  worse  one,"  said 
Artie,  as  he  pinned  the  end  of  the  bandage. 

"  Thank  you,  Artie,  and  you  are  quite  a  sur- 
geon," replied  Deck,  as  he  straightened  out  his 
arm.  "  That  feels  better,  though  it  is  still  rather 
Vv'arm.  But  we  have  business  on  our  hands,  and 
we  can't  fool  away  any  more  time.  What  do 
you  suppose  the  presence  of  those  two  fellows 
here  means?  " 

"There  is  only  one  thing  that  it  can  mean," 
replied  Artie,  as  he  strained  liis  vision  to  take 
in  whatever  might  be  seen  in  the  direction  from 
Avhich  the  two  scouts  had  come.  "There  must 
be  a  body  of  cavalrymen  not  far  behind  them." 

"  I  don't  understand  tliis  business,"  added 
Deck.  "  Let's  ride  up  the  slope,  and  then  we 
can  see  the  enemy  if  there  is  any  there." 


THE   BATTLE   BEGUN   AT   THE   CROSS-ROADS     127 

"It  won't  take  both  of  us  to  do  that.  We 
know,  if  everybody  in  the  company  does  not, 
that  there  is  a  company  of  Texan  Rangers 
camped  about  three  miles  from  Mr.  Barkland's 
plantation.  From  their  odd  uniform  we  have  a 
right  to  believe  these  two  scouts  belonged  to 
that  company.  Very  likely  the  captain  of  it 
is  up  to  some  mischief ;  and  if  a  part  of  the 
force  should  come  over  here  after  Captain  Tru' 
man  has  departed  to  join  our  first  company, 
they  could  undo  all  that  has  been  done,  burn 
the  bridge,  and  recapture  all  the  prisoners." 

"  That's  so !  "  exclaimed  Deck,  taking  in  the  ar- 
gument of  his  brother,  and  fully  agreeing  with  it. 

"As  you  are  wounded,  I  will  ride  up  the 
slope,  and  see  what  is  to  be  seen,  while  you 
hurry  back  as  fast  as  Ceph  will  take  you  to 
Captain  Truman,  and  tell  him  all  about  it," 
suggested  Artie. 

"  All  right ;  go  ahead !  "  returned  Deck,  as  he 
wheeled  Ids  horse,  while  Artie  galloped  up  the 
slope,  which  was  quite  gentle  for  half  a 'mile. 

When  the  latter  reached  the  spot  where  the 
Texan  had  fallen,  he  saw  that  he  was  not  dead, 
though    the  blood   was  oozingf  from  a  wound  in 


128  IN   THE   SADDLE 

his  breast.  His  horse  was  quietly  feeding  on 
the  bushes  at  the  side  of  the  road ;  but  Artie 
'could  not  stop  to  do  anything  for  his  wounded 
enemy,  though  his  heart  was  big  enough  to  do 
everything  in  his  power.  He  rode  on  at  the 
highest  speed  of  Dolly,  as  he  called  her,  though 
she  had  had  another  name  before  he  made  her 
acquaintance.  He  reached  the  top  of  the  hill, 
if  it  could  be  called  such,  and  the  spot  com- 
manded a  view  of  the  country  for  several  miles. 
It  was  not  a  plain  which  opened  to  him,  for 
the  prospect  was  bounded  by  a  range  of  hills 
several  miles  distant,  the  intervening  space  hav- 
ing a  sort  of  rolling  surface.  The  first  object 
that  attracted  Ids  attention  was  a  horseman, 
riding  at  full  gallop  up  a  slope  about  a  mile 
distant  from  him.  He  concluded  that  he  was 
the  scout  whose  companion  had  fallen  from  his 
horse  when  he  fired  his  carbine.  He  must  have 
stopped  by  the  way,  or  ridden  more  slowly  than 
at  present,  or  he  would  have  been  out  or  sight 
in  the  time  he  had  taken. 

Artie  liad  halted  on  the  crown  of  the  slope, 
for  it  was  useless  to  go  any  farther.  He  could 
see   the   country  for  at  least   two  miles  ;    and  it 


THE    BATTLE   BEGUN    AT   THE   CROSS-ROADS     129 

was  not  prudent  for  him  to  proceed  alone.  He 
sat  upon  his  horse  considering  what  he  should 
do  next.  The  only  course  left  open  to  him  was 
to  return  to  the  south  road;  but  if  an  enemy 
was  approaching  by  the  east  road,  as  the  pres- 
ence of  the  two  scouts  indicated,  it  was  impor- 
tant that  he  should  ascertain  the  fact. 

He  kept  his  eyes  busily  engaged  in  wandering 
along  the  whole  horizon  to  the  east  and  south 
of  him.  If  Captain  Truman's  command  were  not 
wanted,  it  would  be  an  error  to  detain  them. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  result  of  the  morning's 
work  would  be  all  undone  if  the  enemy  should 
advance  after  the  larger  portion  of  the  second 
company  had  been  withdrawn.  It  was  a  per- 
plexing question  for  a  boy  of  eighteen  to  settle  ; 
and  he  realized  the  responsibility  that  had  acci- 
dentally, as  it  were,  fallen  upon  him. 

If  he  was  not  at  the  cross-road  when  Deck 
returned  from  his  visit  to  the  camp  at  the  bridge, 
Captain  Truman  would  march  his  men  up  the 
slope,  when  they  might  be  needed  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  planter's  house.  He  decided  to  compro- 
mise with  tlie  circumstances,  and  wait  a  reason- 
able   time    for  some    evidence   of   an  advance    on 


130  IN   THE   SADDLE 

the  part  of  the  Texaiis.  The  two  scouts  had 
come  from  beyond  the  elevation  where  he  stood; 
and  unless  they  were  simply  messengers  or 
spies,  there  must  be  a  force  behind  them.  As 
spies,  they  would  not  have  appeared  in  full  uni- 
form. 

When  he  had  waited  perhaps  ten  minutes,  he 
discovered  something  moving  over  the  top  of  one 
of  the  hills  south-east  of  him.  With  the  utmost 
eagerness  he  observed  the  spot.  He  could  not 
make  out  anything  that  looked  like  a  road.  But 
presently  the  moving  object  became  more  definite 
to  his  gaze.  He  wished  he  had  his  father's  field- 
glass  ;  but  all  he  could  do  was  to  watch  and  wait. 
In  a  few  minutes  more  the  moving  object  re- 
solved itself  into  a  body  of  mounted  men.  They 
were  marching  along  the  summit  of  an  elevation, 
and  he  saw  them  begin  the  descent. 

While  still  in  sight  the  troop  halted,  and  Artie 
concluded  that  the  scout  who  had  escaped  had 
come  up  with  them,  and  was  making  his  report. 
But  he  could  not  leave  yet ;  for  it  was  important 
that  he  should  report  the  strength  of  the  enemy, 
as  well  as  his  actual  presence  in  the  vicinity. 
The   young   cavalryman    had  a  full  view  of   the 


THE   BATTLE   BEGUN    AT   THE   CROSS-ROADS     131 

valley  into  which  tlie  troop  were  descending- ;  and 
as  soon  as  they  marched  again  he  estimated, 
and  even  counted,  the  number  of  men. 

The  Texans  did  not  compel  him  to  wait  a  great 
while,  for  they  resumed  the  march  at  full  gallop. 
They  had  been  moving  at  a  very  moderate  gait 
when  Artie  first  saw  them.  The  report  of  the 
scout  doubtless  assured  the  officer  in  command 
that  a  force  of  Union  cavalry  was  located  near  the 
bridge,  and  he  was  hurrying  his  men  forward  to 
meet  it.  Artie  had  seen  enough  to  assure  him  of 
the  approacli  of  an  enemy,  and  he  started  on  his 
return  to  the  cross-road.  He  had  seen  the  whole 
of  the  force,  and  had  estimated  its  number  at 
forty-four  men  in  the  ranks ;  for  he  had  counted 
eleven  sections  of  four  in  each. 

Dolly  had  had  quite  a  rest  while  he  was  observ- 
ing the  approach  of  the  enemy ;  and,  as  soon  as  he 
had  obtained  the  facts,  he  was  in  a  hurry.  He 
urged  his  steed  forward  at  her  best  speed.  He 
reached  the  cross-road  just  as  Deck  appeared 
there  ;  for  the  information  he  brought  perplexed 
the  captain  not  a  little  in  regard  to  his  duty  under 
the  changed  circumstances,  and  he  had  been  de- 
tained to  answer  a  great  many  questions. 


132  IN   THE   SADDLE 

"Where  is  Captain  Truman?"  shouted  Artie, 
as  soon  as  he  was  within  speaking  distance  of  his 
brother. 

"  He  will  be  here  in  a  few  minutes  with  his 
men,"  replied  Deck,  who  had  also  remained,  to 
have  his  wound  properly  dressed  by  the  surgeon. 
"  Have  you  seen  the  enemy,  Artie  ?  " 

"  I  have  ;  and  they  are  within  a  mile  and  a  half 
of  here  now,"  replied  Artie.  "  They  are  advan- 
cing with  all  speed,  and  they  will  be  here  in  a  few 
minutes." 

"  Here  is  the  captain,"  added  Deck  ;  and  a  min- 
ute later  the  troopers  were  halted. 

"  Here  is  Artie,  Captain  Truman ;  and  he  has 
big  news  for  you,"  said  Deck,  wha  appeared  to 
have  forgotten  that  he  was  wounded. 

"  Your  report,  Artie,"  demanded  the  captain. 

"  The  Texan  Rangers  —  at  least,  that  is  what  I 
suppose  they  are  —  will  be  here  in  ten  or  fifteen 
minutes,  if  they  don't  stop  by  the  way." 

"Is  it  a  large  force? '*  asked  the  captain,  with 
some  anxiety  visible  on  his  face. 

"  Forty-four  men,  as  I  estimated  them,  besides 
the  officers." 

"  We  outnumber  them,  then.     But  I  am  ordered 


THE   BATTLE   BEGUN   AT   THE   CROSS-ROADS    133 

to  report  at  the  planter's  house,"  said  the  officer, 
who  appeared  to  be  musing  upon  the  situation. 

He  was  not  an  experienced  officer ;  and  his  mind 
was  charged  with  the  idea  that  the  soldier  must 
obey  his  superior  officer,  though  his  intellect  was 
broad  enough,  and  he  had  read  in  his  military 
books  that  one  in  command  of  a  force  must  use 
judgment  and  discretion.  This  was  what  he  was 
thinking  of  when  he  alluded  to  his  orders,  Avhicli 
he  would  not  have  done  if  the  boys  had  not  been 
the  sons  of  the  major,  and  he  was  on  very  intimate 
terms  with  them. 

"  But,  if  you  obey  your  orders,  the  bridge  will 
be  destroyed,  and  the  "  — 

"  I  don't  intend  to  obey  them ;  I  am  not  quite 
blind,  my  boy,"  interposed  Captain  Truman,  with 
a  smile  on  his  face.  "  Less  than  fifty  men,  you 
say,  Artie.  I  made  up  my  mind,  from  what  Deck 
said,  that  if  there  was  a  force  approaching  from 
that  direction,  the  enemy  were  divided,  and  were 
coming  to  the  bridge  by  the  two  roads." 

"There  must  be  more  than  forty-four  men  in  the 
whole  company,  besides  the  officers,"  added  Artie. 

"  No  doubt  of  it,"  replied  the  captain,  looking 
about  him. 


134  IN   THE   SADDLE 

Then  he  called  for  Lieutenant  Gadbury,  and 
sent  him,  Avith  thirty  men,  back  to  the  field  where 
tliey  had  been  concealed  to  await  the  attack  of  the 
Home  Guards  on  the  bridge.  Then  he  ordered 
the  rest  of  the  men,  about  forty  in  number,  to  un- 
slino"  their  carbines,  and  formed  them  across  the 
south  road.  In  a  somewhat  louger  time  than 
Artie  had  predicted,  the  head  of  the  enemy's  col- 
umn arrive4  at  the  top  of  the  hill,  where  they 
halted. 

A  couple  of  officers  a2")peared  in  front  of  the 
troop,  and  seemed  to  be  surveying  the  situation. 
T]iey  could  see  the  railroad  bridge,  and  that  it 
had  not  been  destroyed  by  another  division  of  the 
Confedei'ates.  But  tliey  could  not  see  the  camp 
that  had  been  establidhed  at  the  side  of  the  struc- 
ture, for  it  was  on  much  lower  ground.  They 
could  also  see  the  cavalry  of  Captain  Truman, 
stationed  about  six  feet  apart,  so  that  they  ex- 
tended both  ways  on  the  crossing  along  the  south 
road. 

The  Union  cavalry  doubtless  looked  like  a  small 
force  to  the  officers  who  observed  it.  They  had 
the  reputation  of  being  bold  and  brave  men,  and 
the  order  to  attack  was  not  lono^  withheld.     The 


THE   BATTLE   BEGUN   AT   THE   CROSS-ROADS     135 

officer  in  command  led  his  men  down  the  hill  at 
full  gallop,  the  men  yelling  like  so  many  demons  ; 
for,  at  this  early  stage  of  the  war,  the  troops  of 
the  enemy  had  acquired  the  notion  that  these 
hideous  cries  would  intimidate  their  foes ;  but 
they  did  not  in  this  instance. 

"Now,  my  boys,  this  will  be  no  fool's  play!" 
shouted  Captain  Truman  at  the  top  of  his  lungs. 
"  These  troopers  are  not  Home  Guards;  and  there 
will  be  fighting,  and  no  child's  play.  Stand  up  to 
it  like  men  —  like  Kentuckians,  and,  above  all, 
like  Union  men  !  " 

The  soldiers  responded  with  a  hearty  cheer ;  and 
they  kept  it  up  till  the  enemy  were  within  gun- 
shot range,  where  they  halted.  They  were  formed 
across  the  road,  but  with  only  half-a-dozen  men  in 
a  rank,  so  that  they  were  still  clustered  in  a  rather 
solid  mass.  In  this  condition  they  delivered  their 
first  volley.  One  of  the  Union  men  dropped  from 
his  saddle,  and  only  one.  If  others  were  wounded, 
they  said  nothing.  The  fire  was  promptly  re- 
turned ;  but,  so  far  as  could  be  seen,  with  no 
greater  effect  than  that  of  the  Rangers. 

The  Union  men,  as  ordered,  continued  to  fire  at 
will ;  and  it  was  soon  evident  that  their  carbines 


136  IN   THE   SADDLE 

were  superior  to  those  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy, 
for  they  discharged  at  least  twice  as  many  shots. 
The  report  of  the  muskets  had  brought  the  force 
of  Lieutenant  Gadbury  into  the  rear  of  the  enemy, 
and  both  divisions  of  the  company  were  pouring 
bullets  into  them. 


A   DESPERATE   CHARGE   ON   BOTH   SIDES      137 


CHAPTER   XI 

A   DESPERATE   CHARGE   ON   BOTH   SIDES 

The  Texan  Rangers  were  formed  in  a  rather 
compact  mass,  while  the  Union  line  was  consider- 
ably extended.  Captain  Truman  had  ideas  of  his 
own;  and,  though  he  was  not  a  martinet,  he  was 
disposed  to  follow  strictly  the  rules  and  prece- 
dents of  military  practice.  His  men  could  not 
very  well  fire  into  forty-five  men  huddled  together 
in  a  small  space  without  hitting  some  of  them. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  enemy  might  discharge  a 
volley  into  his  force,  placed  about  six  feet  apart, 
with  comparatively  little  effect. 

He  was  surprised  to  observe  how  few  of  the 
Rangers  fell  from  .their  horses  at  the  first  dis- 
charge of  his  men  ;  but  their,  practice  immediately 
began  to  improve,  and  as  soon  as  the  detachment 
of  Lieutenant  Gadbury  dashed  into  the  road  in 
the  rear  of  the  enemy,  the  fire  became  very  de- 
structive.    Many   of  the   enemy  were   killed  and 


138  IN   THE   SADDLE 

wounded,  and  it  looked  as  though  they  would  all 
be  destroyed. 

The  Texans  were  brave  men  ;  they  Avere  impul- 
sive and  reckless,  and  they  seemed  to  be  perfectly 
satisfied  that  they  could  overcome  the  Union  cav- 
alry, and  carry  everything  before  them.  In  a 
few  minutes  it  was  evident  to  the  captain  of  the 
second  company  that  the  officer  of  the  enemy  had 
made  a  fearful  blunder,  led  into  it  by  his  impul- 
sive ardor.  He  had  conducted  his  men  into  the 
light  without  sufficiently  understanding  the  situa- 
tion, and  without  taking  the  trouble  to  feel  of  the 
enemy  beforehand.  He  had  rushed  blindly  into 
the  engagement  with  a  feeling  of  contempt  for  his 
foe,  and  with  the  belief  that  the  Texan  cavalry 
could  ca-rry  everything  before  them. 

In  a  few  minutes  he  had  discovered  his  mistake, 
as  he  saw  his  men  drop  before  the  fire  in  the  fi'ont 
and  rear  of  his  force.  He  had  been  beyond  the 
crown  of  the  elevation  in  the  .road  when  Captain 
Truman  stationed  his  flanking  party  behind  the 
knoll,  where  they  could  not  be  seen  by  the  enemy. 
He  liad  recklessly  regarded  the  force  in  front  of 
him  as  the  entire  strength  of  his  foe. 

The  Rangers  were  between  the  upper  and  the 


A   DESPERATE   CHARGE   ON   BOTH    SIDES      139 

nether  millstone,  as  the  Home  Guards  had  been 
early  in  the  morning ;  and  it  was  only  a  question 
of  time  when  they  would  all  be  shot  down.  In 
the  village  of  Barcreek,  Captain  Truman  had  won 
a  reputation  as  a  chess-player  among  the  better 
class  of  citizens  who  were  fond  of  the  game.  He 
had  reached  the  conclusion  that  warfare  was  to  be 
conducted  on  similar  principles,  and  he  was  on  the 
lookout  for  an  opportunity  to  "checkmate"  his  an- 
tagonist. He  had  fought  the  battle  in  the  morning 
ou  the  plan  laid  down  for  him  by  Major  Lyon. 

By  dividing  his  detachment,  and  placing  forty 
of  them  in  front  of  the  Texans,  and  spreading 
them  out  so  that  they  appeared  to  be  even  a 
smaller  force,  he  had  tempted  the  attack  in  which 
the  enemy  were  suffering  so  severely.  It  was  not 
in  the  power  or  the  nerve  of  any  body  of  soldiers 
to  stand  up  against  such  a  deadly  fire  from  their 
front  and  rear.  They  must  either  be  shot  down 
or  surrender.  It  evidently  had  not  occurred  to 
the  lieutenant  in  command  of  the  Rangers  to  re- 
sort to  the  last  expedient  to  save  his  men ;  but  he 
was  plainly  making  a  movement  to  extricate  them 
from  the  trap  into  which  he  had  so  inconsiderately 
led  them. 


140  TN   THE   SADDLE 

"  Attention,  company  !  "  shouted  Captain  Tru- 
man at  the  top  of  his  lungs,  as  he  interpreted  the 
movement  of  the  enemy.     "  Close  order,  march  !  " 

The  file  closed  up  in  a  more  compact  mass. 
The  command  was  given  to  sling  their  carbines, 
and  to  draw  their  sabres ;  and  it  was  given  none 
too  soon,  for  the  captain  liad  correctly  divined  the 
intention  of  tlie  lieutenant  on  the  other  side  of 
attempting  to  cut  his  way  through  the  force  iu 
front  of  him. 

"  Can  3-0U  make  out  what  Lieutenant  Gadbury 
is  doing.  Deck?"  asked  the  captain,  who  was 
rather  near-sighted. 

Deck  and  Artie  had  both  remained  near  the 
captain ;  and  they  had  not  been  idle  or  indifferent, 
but  acted  as  volunteers  in  the  second  com23any. 

"His  men  are  slinging  their  carbines,  as  the 
enemy  have  done,"  replied  Deck. 

" We  are  going  to  have  some  hot  woik,  my 
boy.  If  you  are  ready  to  return  to  the  first 
company  "  — 

"  I  am  not  ready  to  return,  Captain  Truman  !  " 
exclaimed  Deck.  "  I  think  you  need  all  the  men 
you  can  have,  and  I  shall  add  one  to  the  number. 
I  have   not   heard   any  firing  to  tlie  south  of  us, 


A   DESPERATE   CHARGE   ON   BOTH    SIDES      141 

and  I  don't  believe  the  first  company  has  been 
engaged  yet." 

"  But  I  am  somewhat  concerned  about  our 
prisoners  at  the  bridge.  There  are  a  hundred 
of  them,  or  very  nearly  that  number.  They  must 
have  heard  our  firing,  and  Lieutenant  Blenks  may 
have  his  hands  full.  You  can  render  better  service 
by  looking  after  this  part  of  the  field,"  added  the 
captain. 

"  Of  course  I  am  ready  to  go  wherever  I  can 
do  the  most  good,"  replied  Deck,  who  could  not 
help  wondering  if  the  captain  was  not  sending  him 
out  of  the  way  because  he  was  the  major's  son. 

"  You  are  wounded,  and  you  can  be  spared  better 
than  some  other  man.  Some  of  our  poor  fellows 
have  bitten  the  dust.  Ride  over  to  the  bridge ; 
and,  if  Blenks  is  having  no  trouble  with  the  prison- 
ers, go  over  to  the  rear  of  the  enemy,  and  direct 
Gadbury  to  follow  up  the  charge  of  the  Texans." 

Deck  saluted  the  captain,  and  dashed  down  the 
road  towards  the  bridge  with  all  the  speed  the 
willing  Ceph  could  command.  It  was  a  few 
minutes  that  he  required  to  reach  the  position  of 
Lieutenant  Blenks,  who  had  heard  the  firing,  and 
had  drawn  up  his  men  for  any  duty  that  might 


142  IN   THE   SADDLE 

be  before  them.  No  movement  on  the  part  of  the 
prisoners  was  apparent  to  Deck,  and  they  were 
surrounded  by  a  guard,  with  their  carbines  in 
their  hands ;  for  the  officer  had  ordered  them  to 
be  on  the  lookout  for  any  demonstration. 

"I  am  sent  by  Captain  Truman  to  ascertain  the 
condition  of  the  prisoners,"  said  Deck,  as  he 
Baluted  the  lieutenant. 

"  The  prisoners  are  all  right,"  replied  the  officer 
with  a  smile.  "As  soon  as  I  heard  heavy  firing 
I  strengthened  the  guards  around  them ;  for  I 
thought  they  might  want  to  take  a  hand  in  the 
fight  over  yonder.  I  had  a  talk  with  the  second 
lieutenant  of  the  Guards,  now  in  command,  and 
he  told  me  that  a  compan}^  of  Texan  cavalry  were 
to  have  connected  with  his  force  here." 

"  But  the  force  we  have  engaged  cannot  be 
more  than  half  the  company ;  and  all  of  them 
must  have  known  that  at  least  one  of  our  com- 
panies was  in  this  vicinity,"  added  Deck. 

"  The  lieutenant,  whose  name  is  Condor,  tried 
to  induce  Lagger  to  wait  till  they  had  joined  their 
forces  before  he  meddled  with  the  bridge ;  but  he 
refused  to  do  so." 

"Buck  Lagger  desired  to  win  his  spurs  while 


A   DESPERATE   CHARGE   ON   BOTH   SIDES      143 

the  captain  of  the  Guards  was  absent.  But  you 
need  no  assistance  here,"  added  Deck,  as  he 
wheeled  his  horse. 

"  None  at  all ;  we  could  ride  these  fellows  down 
in  two  minutes.  But  their  arms  are  loaded  into 
our  baggage  wagon,  and  they  could  do  nothing 
if  they  tried,"  replied  the  officer. 

The  messenger  galloped  up  the  road  and  into 
the  field  by  the  side  of  the  east  road.  It  was  not 
cultivated,  though  it  had  been  years  before,  and 
was  now  overgrown  in  places  by  small  trees  and 
bushes.  Behind  these  Deck  made  his  way  to  a 
point  abreast  of  the  enemy.  He  was  in  time  to 
hear  the  order  to  charge  upon  the  Union  cavalry 
at  the  foot  of  the  hill.  The  lieutenant  had  evi- 
dently delayed  this  order  for  some  time ;  for  when 
his  men  ceased  to  fire,  the  Union  troopers  had 
followed  their  example,  and  prepared  for  the 
decisive  event  of  the  conflict.  The  messenger 
rode  into  the  road  and  saluted  the  officer  in  com- 
mand of  the  flanking  party. 

"  Captain  Truman's  order  is  that  you  follow  up 
the  enemy  in  the  rear  as  they  charge  down  the 
hill,"  said  Deck. 

"  I  am  all  ready  to  do  that,"  replied  the  officer, 


144  IN    THE    SADDLE 

as  he  pointed  to  his  men,  who  sat  upon  their 
horses  with  their  drawn  sabres  in  their  hands. 

They  were  not  more  than  two  hundred  feet 
from  tlie  Texans,  and  Lieutenant  Gadbury  had 
already  addressed  some  inspiring  words  to  them. 
The  other  division  could  be  plainly  seen  at  the 
foot  of  the  hill,  and  both  parties  were  observing 
the  enemy  with  the  most  intense  interest.  Judg- 
ing from  the  impetuous  and  reckless  conduct  of 
the  Rangers,  the  conclusion  had  been  reached  on 
both  sides  to  charge  the  foe  ;  for  any  other  move- 
ment would  be  turning  their  backs  to  the  enemy. 

During  the  tacit  suspension  of  the  conflict,  both 
combatants  had  improved  the  opportunity  to  care 
for  their  wounded.  Two  of  the  men  only  had 
been  killed  so  far,  but  half  a  dozen  of  them  had 
been  wounded  ;  for  the  Texans  had  given  most  of 
their  attention  to  those  at  the  foot  of  the  hill. 
Of  these  six,  four  kept  in  their  saddles,  and  re- 
fused to  take  the  rear.  The  wounds  were  dressed 
as  far  as  possible,  and  Dr.  Farnwright  was  a  busy 
man  at  his  post  on  the  cross-roads. 

Suddenly  the  officer  in  command  of  the  Texans 
appeared  in  the  rear  of  his  force,  and  made  a 
furious  gesture  with  his  sword,  pointing   in  the 


A   DESPERATE   CHARGE   ON   BOTH   SIDES      145 

direction  of  Gadbuiy's  men.  This  was  not  what 
was  expected  of  the  Rangers ;  and  for  the  moment 
all  the  advantage  was  in  favor  of  the  enemy,  so 
far  as  numbers  were  concerned. 

"  Fours,  right  about,  march  !  "  shouted  the  Con- 
federate lieutenant;  "Now  charge  with  all  the 
blood  there  is  in  you!  Ride  them  down,  and  use 
your  sabres  like  men  !  " 

The  order  was  promptly  obeyed  by  the  Texans, 
who  appeared  to  be  under  excellent  discipline ; 
but  they  had  hardly  whirled  around  before  the 
watchful  eyes  of  Captain  Truman  discovered  what 
they  were  doing,  and  his  energetic  shouts  of  or- 
ders could  be  heard  by  the  force  now  in  front 
of  the  Rangers.  In  another  moment  the  main 
body  of  the  compan}^  were  spurring  their  steeds 
with  all  their  might  up  the  hill.  Their  sabres 
were  in  their  hands,  and  they  were  using  them  in 
urging  forward  their  horses.  They  came  like  a 
whirlwind,  with  the  captain  in  advance ;  and  there 
was  not  a  man  among  them  who  would  not  have 
been  ashamed  to  be  a  laggard  under  such  leader- 
ship. 

It  was  well  known  that  there  were  two  or  more 
companies  of  cavalry  from  Texas  in  this  part  of 


146  IN   THE   SADDLE 

the  State,  and  they  had  excited  an  unwholesome 
dread  among  the  citizens  by  their  desperate  bra- 
very and  their  reported  prowess.  In  the  squadron 
of  Riverlawn  cavalry,  as  it  was  sometimes  called, 
the  troopers  had  talked  about  them  a  great  deal, 
and  an  emulation  had  been  created  among  them 
to  measure  sabres  with  them.  They  had  the  op^ 
portunity  on  this  occasion,  and  the  pride  of  every 
soldier  had  been  roused  to  the  highest  pitch. 

Though  the  flanking  division  of  the  company 
was  now  outnumbered  for  the  moment,  all  the 
Union  men  looked  upon  the  change  of  front  in 
the  enemy  as  something  like  the  appearance  of  the 
white  feather,  and  they  were  encouraged  by  this 
phase  of  the  combat.  Lieutenant  Gadbury,  as 
soon  as  he  saw  the  change  of  front  on  the  part 
of  the  Rangers,  was  disposed  to  take  the  bull  by 
the  horns. 

"  Open  order,  march  !  "  he  shouted.  "  Sergeant 
Lingall,  march  half  the  column  into  the  field  on 
the  left,  and  strike  them  on  that  side." 

With  the  twenty  men  left  to  him,  he  gave  the 
order  to  move  forward  at  a  gallop,  imitating 
the  example  of  the  Texan  lieutenant  in  taking 
his  place  in  advance.     No  mercy  was  shown  to 


A   DESPERATE   CHARGE   ON   BOTH   SIDES      147 

the  poor  norses,  which  were  goaded  with  sabre 
and  spurs  to  their  highest  speed.  The  two  divis- 
ions were  rushing  upon  each  other  with  a  fury 
that  promised  a  tremendous  shock  when  they 
came  together.  Deck  had  placed  himself  in  the 
front  rank,  and  added  one  to  the  number  reduced 
by  death  and  wounds. 

He  was  not  a  full-grown  man ;  but  he  was  a 
stout  fellow,  and  as  brave  as  a  lion,  which  he  had 
proved  on  some  former  occasions.  Ceph,  his  in- 
telligent horse,  fully  seconded  him.  The  rider 
selected  the  point  where  he  was  likely  to  hit.  It 
looked  to  him  just  as  though  the  two  officers  in 
command  would  meet  each  other,  and  have  a  pass 
with  their  sabres,  for  which  they  had  exchanged 
their  dress  swords.  But  the  Texan,  before  the 
onslaught  came,  had  moved  over  nearer  the  left 
flank  of  his  force,  in  order  to  obtain  a  better  view 
of  his  men;  but  he  had  started  to  regain  his 
former  position  just  as  the  crash  of  the  two  bodies 
ensued.  He  was  directly  in  front  of  Deck,  when 
Captain  Truman  shouted  to  his  men  to  stand  up 
to  the  work  before  them,  and  not  yield  a  hair 
while  the  breath  of  life  was  in  them. 

Ceph  had  been  ridden  a  great  deal  by  his  master 


148  IN  THE  Saddle 

before  he  became  ms  war-charger,  and  he  had 
trained  him  to  some  tricks  in  which  the  other 
horses  had  not  been  drilled.  One  of  these  was 
to  leap  over  a  high  bar.  As  the  young  cavalry- 
man saw  the  lieutenant  of  the  enemy  directly  in 
front  of  him,  he  drew  his  rein,  as  Cepli  had  been 
instructed ;  and  the  steed  stood  up  on  his  hind- 
legs.  Deck  clinging  with  his  wounded  arm  to  his 
holsters. 

The  gallant  charger  understood  that  he  was  to 
leap  over  the  object  in  front  of  him ;  but  it  was 
more  than  he  could  do,  and  he  came  down  with 
his  fore-legs  over  the  neck  of  the  smaller  horse 
of  the  lieutenant.  The  horse  went  down,  the 
rider  upon  him,  and  Deck  gave  a  sharp  thrust 
with  his  sabre  at  the  same  moment.  The  officer 
was  disabled  at  least,  and  Deck  dashed  over  him 
into  the  thickest  of  the  fiofht. 


THE   YOUNG   HERO   OF   THE   BATTLE         149 


CHAPTER   XII 

THE  YOUNG  HERO  OF  THE  BATTLE 

The  steed  of  the  officer  of  the  Texans  was  a 
diminutive  animal,  and  was,  perhaps,  a  mustang 
from  Mexico,  a  tough  little  beast  with  nearly 
the  endurance  of  a  mule.  Ceph,  in  the  exercise 
through  which  his  young  master  put  him  when 
they  were  alone  by  themselves,  had  leaped  quite 
as  high  as  the  backbone  of  the  officer's  steed; 
but  it  was  under  favorable  circumstances.  In  the 
furious  conflict  both  the  rider  and  the  steed  were 
excited  in  the  highest  degree. 

Ceph  had  failed  to  leap  over  the  back  of  the 
mustang,  but  he  had  brought  him  to  the  ground, 
and  the  lieutenant  upon  him ;  for  he  could  do 
nothing  for  himself,  and  Deck  made  a  vigorous 
use  of  his  sabre  the  moment  the  enemy  was  under 
him,  as  his  gallant  charger  sprang  from  the  wreck 
he  had  accomplished,  and  dashed  forward  into  the 
melee. 


150  IN   THE   SADDLE 

If  Deck  had  won  no  prize  for  his  sabre  drill,  it 
was  only  because  none  was  offered.  He  was  as 
quick  as  a  flash  in  his  movements,  and  had  a 
strong  arm.  The  Ranger  nearest  to  his  officer 
when  the  latter  went  down  aimed  a  tremendous 
blow  at  the  head  of  the  young  soldier,  which 
would  have  cleft  it  in  twain  if  Deck  had  not 
parried  it  skilfully  and  powerfully.  In  return, 
he  inflicted  the  same  kind  of  a  blow  upon  his 
assailant,  whose  horse  carried  him  out  of  the 
affray  when  he  ceased  to  direct  him,  and  he  fell 
to  the  ground  at  the  side  of  the  road. 

The  rinfjing-  voice  of  the  Texan  officer  was  no 
longer  heard  in  4he  furious  strife,  and  the  Rangers 
were  fighting  each  on  his  own  responsibility. 
Captain  Truman  had  brought  up  his  men,  nncl 
they  had  made  a  tremendous  onslaught.  The  ten 
men  sent  to  the  flank  had  done  their  whole  duty, 
and  Deck  found  not  a  single  one  of  the  enemy 
who  was  not  engfaofed  in  a  hand-to-hand  encoun- 
ter  with  a  Ranger.  The  enemy  were  surrounded, 
hemmed  in,  and  discouraged  by  the  fall  of  their 
brave  leader.  They  were  also  outnumbered,  and 
one  of  them  was  often  engaged  with  two  of  the 
Union  cavalrymen. 


THE   YOUNG   HERO   OF   THE   BATTLE         151 

The  Texans  had  assuredly  done  all  that  could 
be  done,  and  it  was  soon  evident  that  they  were 
only  defending  themselves  till  they  could  work 
out  of  the  desperate  melee.  On  the  flanks,  as 
they  could  detach  themselves  from  the  struggling 
mass,  they  fled  into  the  field  on  the  south  of  the 
road.  Such  a  conflict  could  last  but  a  few  mo- 
ments, for  there  was  not  breath  enough  in  the 
human  body  to  keep  up  such  a  strain. 

An  observer  would  have  supposed  that  more 
than  half  on  both  sides  had  been  killed ;  yet  very 
few  had  fallen  to  the  ground,  and  fewer  still  had 
come  out  of  it  without  wounds  of  greater  or  less 
magnitude.  The  Texans  fought  to  free  them- 
selves from  the  embrace  of  the  Unionists,  as  it 
were ;  and  as  soon  as  they  had  worked  out  of  the 
confusion,  they  fled  at  the  best  speed  of  their  half- 
exhausted  animals.  Some  one  among  them  had 
taken  in  the  lay  of  the  countrj^ ;  and  they  all  fled 
in  one  direction,  which  was  towards  the  road  by 
which  they  had  come  from  their  camp. 

The  battle  was  fought,  and  the  Union  cavalry- 
men remained  in  possession  of  the  field.  Most  of 
the  men  were  at  least  spotted  with  gore,  and  some 
of  them  looked  as  though  they  had  been  at  work 


152  IN   THE   SADDLE 

in  a  slaughter-house.  Dr.  Farnwright  had  already- 
begun  his  work  at  the  side  of  the  road.  Three  of 
the  company  were  silent  and  motionless,  and  the 
surgeon  had  pronounced  them  dead.  The  wagons 
were  sent  for,  including  those  of  the  Guards,  and 
the  few  who  were  severely  wounded  were  sent  to 
the  hospital  the  surgeon  had  established. 

Deck  had  received  no  additional  wound;  and 
the  bullet  injury  did  not  trouble  him  much,  for 
he  could  handle  his  reins  with  the  left  hand 
nearly  as  well  as  ever.  Artie  had  received  three 
cuts  upon  his  sword  arm,  but  they  happened  to 
be  all  slight.  In  fact,  the  soldier  who  had  not 
been  damaged  to  some  extent  was  hardly  to  be 
found.  Only  five  men  had  been  killed,  nine 
wounded  seriously  enough  to  disable  them. 

"  You  seem  to  be  all  right,  Deck,"  said  Captain 
Truman,  when  they  met  at  the  camp. 

"  I  am.  Captain,  and  ready  for  another  fight 
when  you  bring  it  along,"  replied  the  young  sol- 
dier, laughing,  and  putting  a  bold  face  on  the 
situation. 

"Don't  be  too  ambitious,  my  boy,"  replied  the 
officer,  shaking  his  head.  "You  have  been  reck- 
less to-day." 


THE  YOUNG  HERO  OF  THE  BATTLE    153 

"  But  I  have  come  out  all  right ;  and  I  don't 
think  I  was  any  more  reckless  than  the  rest  of 
the  fellows,"  added  Deck. 

"  You  have  fought  like  a  veteran ;  and  I  think 
we  owe  more  to  you  for  the  result  of  the  action 
than  to  any  other  single  individual,  though  all 
the  boys  behaved  like  heroes,  and  proved  that 
they  were  the  equals  of  even  the  Texan  despe- 
radoes." 

"  I  don't  think  I  did  anything  more  than  the 
rest  of  our  fellows,"  suggested  Deck  ;  and  he  was 
not  in  this  matter  indulging  in  mere  bravado: 
he  really  believed  he  had  done  nothing  except 
what  came  naturally  to  his  hands,  as  others  had 
done. 

"  Then  I  must  differ  in  opinion  from  you ;  but 
while  I  commend  your  skill  and  bravery,  I  can- 
not wholly  approve  of  the  gymnastics  in  which 
you  indulged  at  the  beginning  of  the  charge, 
for  it  was  simply  recklessness,"  said  the  captain 
very  seriously.  "  It  is  your  duty  to  fight  coura- 
geously, my  boy ;  but  it  is  also  a  duty  you  owe 
to  your  country,  as  well  as  to  your  father  and 
all  the  members  of  your  family,  to  save  your 
life  and  limbs  with  honor  if  you  can." 


154  IN   THE   SADDLE 

"  Haven't  I  done  so,  Captain  Truman?"  asked 
Deck,  with  a  very  cheerful  smile  on  his  face.  "  I 
came  out  with  hardly  a  wound  after  the  bullet 
hit  me  in  the  arm  at  the  beginning.  I  have  noth- 
ing but  half-a-dozen  scratches  to  show  for  it." 

"  You  were  excited  to  the  highest  pitch  in  the 
affair,  and  you  have  not  got  over  it  yet.  When 
you  do,  you  will  feel  ^our  scratches  more.  But 
I  hope  you  will  not  be  so  reckless  another  time, 
my  boy." 

"I  didn't  know  I  was  reckless.  Lieutenant 
Gadbury  fired  our  blood  so  that  I  could  hardly 
hold  in ;  and  I  went  in  for  all  I  was  worth,  and 
only  did  the  best  I  knew  how,"  replied  Deck, 
trying  to  cool  off  his  heated  blood. 

"You  didn't  know  you  were  reckless,  my  boy!  " 
exclaimed  the  captain.  "  You  were  a  volunteer 
in  the  second  company,  and  you  advanced  ahead 
of  the  first  rank  with  the  lieutenant.  That  was 
a  bold  exposure;  but  what  I  particularly  refer 
to  as  reckless  was  your  attempt  to  leap  your 
horse  over  that  of  the  Texan  leader." 

"  I  did  not  intend  to  leap  my  horse  over  him ; 
but  I  went  for  that  officer.  When  I  came  up 
with  him,  and  was  going  to  use  my  sabre,  Ceph 


THE  YOUNG  HERO  OF  THE  BATTLE    155 

thought  I  wanted  him  to  leap  over  him,  for  he 
and  I  have  practised  together  at  that  a  great  deal. 
He  meant  right;  but  I  knew  he  couldn't  clear  the 
horse,  small  as  he  was,  to  say  nothing  of  the  rider. 
Ceph  came  down  upon  both  of  them,  and  I  drove 
my  weapon  into  the  officer  before  he  had  a  chance 
to  stick  me.     That  was  the  whole  of  it." 

"  If  you  were  not  trying  to  make  your  steed 
leap  over  the  horse  and  rider,  I  will  acquit  you 
of  recklessness  in  that  particular." 

This  conversation  occurred  as  they  were  mov- 
ing back  to  the  camp.  The  wounded  on  both 
sides  were  put  into  the  wagons,  the  lieutenant 
in  command  of  the  Rangers  among  the  others. 
He  was  badly  wounded,  and  his  chance  of  re- 
covery was  small.  Those  the  doctor  pronounced 
dead  were  placed  by  the  side  of  the  road,  to  be 
disposed  of  later. 

"  How  are  you  now,  Artie  ? "  asked  Deck,  as 
he  rode  up  to  his  brother  at  the  camp,  and  looked 
at  him  with  anxiety,  to  ascertain  the  extent  of 
his  injuries,  though  he  looked  as  rosy  and  vigor- 
ous as  usual. 

"I'm  all  right.  Deck,  though  I  have  a  lot  of 
scratches,  and  a  cut  on  the  sword  arm  which  is 


156  IN   THE   SADDLE 

beginning  to  make  itself  felt,"  replied  his  brother, 
quite  as  cheerfully  as  the  other. 

"I  didn't  see  you  till  the  affair  was  about  over," 
added  Deck.  "But  you  were  putting  in  the  dry 
licks  as  though  you  felt  that  your  time  for  work 
was  very  short." 

"  But  I  saw  you  just  as  soon  as  we  started  from 
the  cross-roads,  and  I  did  not  expect  to  see  you 
come  out  of  it  alive.  Deck,"  replied  Artie ;  and  he 
could  not  wholly  conceal  the  admiration  he  felt 
for  his  brother  since  he  saw  him  take  his  place 
in  advance  of  his  detachment,  and  vanquish  the 
Texan  lieutenant  almost  in  the  twinkling  of  an 
eye.  "  The  captain  said  you  were  reckless  at  the 
time  of  it." 

"  He  don't  say  so  now." 

"  You  tried  to  leap  your  horse  over  rider  and 
steed." 

"  Ceph  did  that  on  his  own  hook  ;  and  I  could 
not  very  well  help  following  his  lead,  as  I  was  on 
his  back,  though  I  had  nearly  slidden  off  when  he 
mounted  in  the  air.  I  am  not  badly  damaged, 
and  I  am  ready  to  return  to  the  first  company ;  I 
am  only  waiting  for  the  captain  to  write  a  note  to 
the  major." 


THE  YOUNG  HERO  OF  THE  BATTLE    157 

"I  am  all  ready  to  go  back,  though  I  should  like 
to  have  Dr.  Farnwright  dress  the  cut  on  my  arm 
before  I  go,"  added  Artie.  "  But  he  is  too  busy 
with  the  men  who  are  worse  off  than  I  am,  and  I 
will  let  it  go  as  it  is.  But  here  comes  the  captain 
with  a  paper  in  his  hand.  I  suppose  father  will 
wonder  what  has  become  of  us." 

"  He  must  have  heard  the  firing  in  this  di- 
rection. Perhaps  he  has  been  fully  occupied 
himself,  or  he  would  have  sent  more  men  over 
this  way." 

No  effort  had  been  used  to  make  prisoners  of 
any  of  the  Texans,  for  the  captain  had  his  hands 
full.  He  was  satisfied  that  Major  Lyon  expected 
warm  work  where  he  was,  for  he  would  not  have 
sent  for  the  additional  force  otherwise.  The  rest 
of  the  company  with  which  he  had  been  engaged 
might  be  at  no  great  distance  from  him,  and 
doubtless  this  was  the  force  the  first  company  was 
expected  to  encounter. 

"  Here  is  the  letter.  Deck,  in  which  I  have 
given  a  hasty  statement  of  the  action,"  said  Cap- 
tain Truman,  as  he  handed  him  the  paper,  which 
could  hardly  be  called  a  letter.  "  I  believe  we 
have  met  a  portion  of  the  enemy  he  expected  to 


158  IN   THE   SADDLE 

engage ;  and  probably  he  is  not  in  a  hurry,  for  we 
have  heard  no  firing  at  the  south  of  us." 

"  We  are  all  ready  to  go ;  but  Artie  has  a 
wound  in  his  arm  which  troubles  him,  and  there 
is  no  surgeon  with  the  first  company,"  interposed 
Deck. 

"  Farn Wright !  "  shouted  the  captain,  as  he  saw 
that  he  had  just  finished  his  attention  to  one 
patient  and  was  hastening  to  another. 

The  surgeon  came  promptly  at  his  call,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  dress  the  arm  of  the  wounded  soldier 
without  his  dismounting  from  his  horse. 

"I  wish  I  had  no  worse  cases  than  that,  my 
boy,"  said  the  doctor. 

"  I  am  sorry  you  have,  sir,"  replied  Artie. 

"  You  will  be  all  right  in  a  few  days,  my  young 
friend ;  and  I  learn  that  you  have  both  fought  like 
Trojans,  though  I  believe  Artie  did  not  try  to  leap 
his  horse  over  any  Texan's  head,"  added  Dr.  Farn- 
wright,  with  a  look  of  admiration  at  Deck,  who 
appeared  to  have  won  the  laurel  of  the  day  on  the 
field. 

"  Neither  did  I,  Doctor.  If  any  one  tried  to  do 
a  big  thing,  it  was  Ceph,"  protested  the  hero. 

"Ceph?     Who  is  he?" 


THE   YOUNG   HERO   OF   THE    BATTLE         159 

"My  horse;"  and  Deck  hastily  gave  his  version 
of  the  daring  deed,  as  it  appeared  to  be  to  those 
who  had  observed  it. 

But  the  dressing  of  the  wound  was  finished,  and 
the  young  soldiers  started  on  their  return  to  the 
camp  of  the  first  company.  The  excitement  of 
the  morning  had  subsided,  and  they  began  to  feel 
the  wear  and  tear  to  which  they  had  been  sub- 
jected. 

"  We  don't  get  such  a  morning's  work  as  this 
every  day  in  the  week,"  said  Artie  as  they  crossed 
the  east  road. 

"But  I  imagine  we  shall  get  some  worse  days 
than  this  has  been,"  added  Deck.  "  We  haven't 
seen  the  end  of  this  day  yet,  and  we  may  be  in 
another  fight  before  noon.  I  suppose  these  Texan 
troopers  have  been  sent  over  here  to  destroy  the 
bridges  on  the  railroad  extending  to  Louisville." 

"  It  isn't  a  great  while  since  the  Confederates 
were  trying  to  keep  the  road  open,"  added  Artie. 

"  The  situation  has  changed  since  that,  and  we 

are  farther  along  into  the  war.     Then  they  wanted 

♦ 
to  keep  this  road  open,  so  that  they  could  bring 

provisions  down  for  the  use  of  the  armies  of  the 

enemy.     Now  they  want  to  destroy  them,  to  pre- 


160  IN   THE   SADDLE 

vent  the  United  States  Government  from  sending 
troops  for  the  invasion  of  the  Southern  States," 
replied  Deck. 

The  conversation  the  rest  of  the  way  was  in  re- 
gard to  the  events  of  the  day,  filled  up  with  sur- 
mises as  to  what  the  first  company  was  doing. 
When  they  left  Major  Lyon  he  was  on  the  top 
of  the  planter's  house,  surveying  the  surrounding 
country,  wishing  to  obtain  the  first  intelligence  of 
the  approach  of  the  enemy.  Both  of  the  messen- 
gers wondered  that  he  had  not  seen  the  coming  of 
the  detachment  with  whom  the  second  company 
had  engaged ;  but  they  concluded  that  the  road 
they  had  taken  led  them  beyond  certain  hills  in 
that  direction. 

When  the  boys  reached  the  mansion  of  Mr. 
Barkland,  Major  Lyon  was  still  on  the  house,  and 
shouted  to  them  to  join  him  at  once. 


PERPLEXING  MOVEMENTS   OF  THE   ENEMY      161 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THE   PERPLEXING  MOVEMEMTS   OF    THE   ENEMY 

The  commander  of  the  squadron  had  not  yet 
become  familiar  with  the  trials,  doubts,  and  anxie- 
ties of  military  life  in  the  midst  of  actual  fighting; 
and  though  he  Avas  as  calm  and  resolute  as  ever, 
he  seemed  to  the  boys  to  be  greatly  disturbed 
about  something.  Thus  far  all  the  fighting  had 
been  done  by  the  second  comj)any ;  but  be- 
fore this  time  Major  Lyon  had  confidently  ex- 
pected to  be  engaged  with  the  cavalry  Avhich 
had  encamped  three  miles  from  the  mansion  of 
the  planter. 

The  reputation  of  the  Texans  had  been  spread 
over  this  portion  of  the  State ;  and  they  were  re- 
garded as  terrible  soldiers,  real  fire-eaters,  and  he 
had  by  no  means  underrated  them.  He  had  made 
the  most  careful  preparations  to  meet  them,  and 
had  sent  the  two  messengers  to  obtain  a  re-enforce- 
ment from  the  second  company,  which  had  sue- 


162  IN  THE   SADDLE 

cessfuUy  completed  its  work  at  the  railroad  bridge, 
and  could  spare  a  portion  of  their  strength. 

Deck  handed  his  father  the  letter  from  Captain 
Truman  as  soon  as  he  came  into  his  presence. 
The  major  opened  it  without  saying  a  word,  for 
he  expected  it  to  give  him  the  information  he  had 
been  so  anxiously  awaiting.  The  firing  to  which 
he  had  listened,  though  it  was  so  faint  that  he 
could  hardly  make  it  out,  had  assured  him  that 
something  not  laid  dotvn  in  his  programme  had 
been  in  progress.  While  he  was  reading  the  hur- 
riedly written  communication,  Deck  and  Artie 
busied  themselves  in  examining  the  region  lying 
to  the  eastward  of  the  mansion. 

"  The  road  by  which  the  Texans  came  must  be 
just  beyond  that  hill,  a  couple  of  miles  from  us," 
said  Artie,  as  they  went  as  far  as  they  could  from 
the  major.  "  I  know  I  saw  them  come  out  from 
behind  it ;  for  I  sat  on  my  horse,  on  the  highest 
ground  I  crossed,  watching  them  for  some  time." 

"There's  father's  map,"  added  Deck,  pointing 
to  the  sheet  which  lay  on  the  lailing  that  sur- 
rounded the  platform ;  and  then  he  went  for  it. 
"I  wondered  father  did  not  see  this  force  from  his 
high  perch  on  this  house." 


PERPLEXING    MOVEMENTS    OF   THE    ENEMY      16S 

The  young  soldiers  spread  out  the  map,  and  ex- 
amined it  very  closely.  They  readily  found  the 
planter's  house,  and  then  a  road,  nearly  parallel 
to  the  east  one,  passing  over  several  hills:  The 
high  ground,  as  they  made  out  the  locality  Avitli 
the  aid  of  the  map,  was  covered  with  forest,  as 
marked  and  as  they  could  see  with  their  own  eyes. 

"  They  went  behind  that  highest  hill,  and  of 
course  they  could  not  be  seen  from  the  top  of  this 
house,"  said  Deck,  as  he  restored  the  map  to  the 
place  where  he  had  found  it. 

"I  wonder  he  did  not  send  more  messengers 
down,  to  ascertain  what  had  become  of  the  force 
he  sent  for,"  added  Artie  in  a  low  tone. 

"  He  was  expecting  an  engagement  with  the 
Texans  all  the  time,  and  had  prepared  for  it,  so 
that  he  did  not  want  to  spare  any  of  his  men." 

Major  Lyon  had  finished  the  reading  of  the 
letter,  which  had  evidently  given  him  some 
trouble,  for  it  was  written  on  horseback  Avith  a 
pencil.  He  had  not  heard  the  conversation  of  the 
sons,  so  deeply  had  he  been  absorbed  in  the  peru- 
sal of  the  missive  from  the  bridge. 

"  It  appears  that  you  have  had  a  fight  near  the 
bridge,"   said    he,   as   the   boys   approached   him.  ^ 


164  IN   THE   SADDLE 

"  Both  of  you  are  very  highly  commended  for 
your  courage  and  steadiness,  and  I  am  glad  to 
hear  so  good  a  report  of  you.  And  both  of  you 
have  been  wounded." 

"  Only  some  scratches,  father,"  replied  Deck. 
"  I  got  one  in  the  beginning  of  the  action ;  but  it 
has  hardly  troubled  me  at  all,  and  I  was  able  to 
do  my  duty  through  the  whole  of  it. 

"  Deck  was  the  hero  of  the  day,  and  the  whole 
company  are  talking  about  him  down  at  the 
bridge,"  said  Artie. 

"But  I  did  no  more  than  my  brother.  I  think 
we  both  did  our  duty,  if  saying  that  is  not  vanity ; 
and  we  had  better  let  it  go  at  that,"  replied  Deck. 

"We  will  let  the  matter  rest  till  another  time, 
at  least,"  added  the  major;  "for  I  have  some- 
thing else  to  think  of  just  now." 

Major  Lyon  took  his  field-glass,  and  directed  it 
to  the  south,  as  he  had  done  all  the  forenoon,  look- 
ing for  the  approach  of  the  main  body  of  the 
Texans.  He  scanned  tlie  region  in  detail,  but 
nothing  was  to  be  discovered.  Then  he  proceeded 
to  question  his  messengers  respecting  the  action, 
especially  in  regard  to  the  manner  in  which  it  had 
been  brought  about. 


PERPLEXING   MOVEMENTS   OF  THE   ENEMY      1G5 

"There  is  something  concerning  the  situation 
here  which  I  cannot  understand,"  said  he,  with 
the  same  perplexed  look  he  had  worn  since  the 
arrival  of  the  messengers.  "  I  expected  jour  re? 
turn  about  two  hours  ago." 

"  We  started  to  come  back  as  long  ago  as  that," 
replied  Deck.  "  When  we  came  to  the  cross-roads 
we  discovered  two  mounted  scouts  on  the  east 
road  approaching  us.  One  of  them  fired,  and  I 
was  wounded  in  the  arm.  We  returned  the  fire, 
and  Artie  brought  down  one  of  them.  The  other 
went  back  the  way  they  had  come.  I  returned  to 
the  camp  to  notify  Captain  Truman,  and  Artie  fol- 
lowed the  retreating  trooper." 

Artie  related  his  experience  in  looking  for  the 
Texans,  and  tlie  result  of  his  search.  Between 
them  both  they  gave  the  details  of  the  fight. 

"  Captain  Truman  stated  that  his  orders  were  to 
join  3^ou  here  ;  but  it  was  plain  enough  to  him  that 
the  camp  at  the  bridge  would  be  captured  if  he 
took  his  force  away,"  said  Deck. 

"  He  did  quite  right ;  and  the  approach  of  the 

Texan  detachment  in  that  roundabout  way  put  an 

entirely  new  phase  on  the  situation,"  added  the 

'   major,  looking  down  at  the  roof  of  the  building, 


166  IN   THE   SADDLE 

while  his  brow  was  wiinkled  by  his  active  re- 
flection. "  We  liave  been  waiting  since  daylight 
for  the  coming  of  the  enemy  down  this  south 
road." 

"  Do  they  know  the  Riverlawn  Cavalry  is  here, 
father?"  asked  Deck. 

"Of  course  they  know  it ;  for  it  appears  that 
they  send  out  scouts  a  long  way  ahead,  and  they 
must  have  found  out  that  we  are  here.  I  directed 
Captain  Gordon  to  send  scouts  out  till  he  discov- 
ered where  the  enemy  were ;  and  it  is  time  we  had 
a  return  from  them." 

"  I  have  a  return  from  my  scouts,"  said  Captain 
Gordon,  springing  to  the  roof  out  of  the  skylight 
at  this  moment. 

"Where  are  the  enemy  now?"  asked  the  major 
anxiously. 

"  They  were  breaking  camp  when  my  men  left," 
replied  the  captain.  "  I  sent  six  men,  the  most 
intelligent  in  the  company,  in  charge  of  Sergeant 
Knox,  who  has  performed  his  duty  very  faith- 
fully." 

"  He  always  does.  Have  your  six  men  re- 
turned?" asked  Major  Lyon. 

"  No,  sir  ;  Knox  returned  alone  to  report.     He 


PERPLEXING   MOVEMENTS    OF  THE    ENEMY      167 

left  Sergeant  Sluder  and  the  other  four  as  pick- 
ets in  the  road  a  mile  and  a  half  from  here,  to 
report  the  approach  of  the  enemy  if  they  came 
this  way." 

"  But  if  they  were  breaking  camp,  Avhy  have  Ave 
not  heard  from  them  before  this  time  ?  "  demanded 
the  major. 

"  Same  of  the  troopers  that  escaped  from  the 
fight  on  the  east  road  must  have  readied  the 
camp  by  this  time,"  interposed  Deck.  "•  Of  course 
they  have  informed  the  captain  of  the  company 
what  happened  over  there." 

"What  fight?"  asked  the  captain  sharply,  as 
he  turned  to  Deck. 

The  captain  had  to  be  informed  of  what  the 
major  had  already  learned. 

"  This  puts  an  entirely  different  complexion  on 
the  situation,"  said  Captain  Gordon,  when  he  had 
heard  something  about  the  fight  with  the  Texan 
cavalry.  "-That  detachment  of  forty -five  men 
were  sent  over  to  the  bridge.  Now,  tlie  question 
is,  What  were  they  sent  for  ?  " 

"  I  have  no  doubt  the  Texan  captain  is  aware 
of  the  presence  of  the  Riverlawn  squadron  in  this 
vicinity.     He  has  found  the  road  here  picketed  by 


168  IN   THE   SADDLE 

our  men.  It  looks  to  me  as  though  this  detach- 
ment was  sent  round  by  that  back  road  to  take 
us  in  the  flank  and  rear  when  the  main  body 
came  down  upon  us  in  front.  They  have  been 
waiting  all  this  time  for  them  to  get  a  position," 
said  the  major,  with  less  anxiety  on  his  face  than 
before." 

"But  those  who  escaped  from  the  fight  have 
now  given  him  full  information  that  they  were 
beaten  off  by  our  men,"  suggested  Captain  Gor- 
don. "  They  were  preparing  for  a  move  of  some 
sort ;  for  Knox  left  his  horse  in  the  road,  and  made 
his  way  through  fields  and  groves,  till  he  was  in 
sight  of  their  camp." 

"  Have  you  anything  to  advise,  Captain  Gor- 
don ? "  asked  Major  Lyon. 

"  I  think  I  should  attack  them  where  they 
are,"  he  replied. 

"  I  cannot  agree  with  you,  Captain,"  added 
the  superior  officer. 

"  But  we  are  losing  time  whatever  we  do," 
said  the  captain. 

"  We  will  march  immediately,  and  with  all 
the  haste  we  can,  to  the  cross-roads.  Give  your 
orders  to  that  effect  without  any  delay.     Send 


PERPLEXING    MOVEMENTS    OF  THE    ENEMY      1G9 

the  prisoners  first,  with  a  proper  guard,"  said 
Major  Lyon  very  decidedly. 

By  this  time  Captain  Gordon  had  acquired  a 
great  deal  of  respect  for  the  judgment  of  the 
commander,  even  in  military  matters ;  for  he  had 
proved  himself  equal  to  the  position  in  which 
he  had  been  placed ;  and,  mild  as  he  was  ordi- 
narily, he  had  shown  that  he  had  a  will  of  his 
own.  But  the  captain  proceeded  to  obey  his  or- 
ders without  offering  any  objection,  and  the  major 
had  not  time  to  explain  his  plans  in  detail. 

"Captain  Truman  and  his  detachment  are 
cominof,"  said  Deck,  who  had  been  usingf  his 
father's  field-glass  for  his  amusement,  while  he 
listened  to  the  conversation  at  his  side. 

"  Mount  your  horse,  Artie,  and  give  him  my 
order  to  return  to  the  cross-roads  !  "  added  Major 
Lyon  sharpl3^ 

Artie  departed  on  the  instant,  and  Deck  re- 
mained on  the  roof.  He  could  see  from  his 
lofty  position  all  that  took  place  in  the  vicinity. 
He  saw  the  six  prisoners,  including  his  uncle, 
Captain  Titus,  marched  down  the  slope  with  an 
J  escort  of  half-a-dozen  troopers.  The  baggage- 
I  wagons    followed    them  ;    and    the    company    was 


170  IN   THE   SADDLE 

formed  in  the  road  by  fours.  Captain  Gordon  had. 
hurried  the  preparations  to  the  best  of  his  ability. 

"  The  pickets  are  coming  in,  Dexter,"  said 
Major  Lyon,  as  he  returned  the  field-glass  to  the 
case  slung  at  his  side.  "  You  can  take  your 
place  in  the  ranks,  my  son.  Whether  the  pick- 
ets have  been  sent  for,  or  are  driven  in  by  the 
enemy,  I  don't  know.  We  will  see  when  we 
reach  the  ground." 

The  young  man  followed  his  father  down  the 
stairs.  In  the  lower  entry  they  met  the  family ; 
and  the  planter  expressed  regret  that  they  were 
about  to  leave  the  vicinity  of  his  house. 

"  I  have  felt  that  I  was  protected  from  insult 
and  depredation  while  your  command  was  here, 
and  I  am  sorry  to  have  you  go,"  said  Mr.  Bark- 
land. 

"I  am  afraid-  we  should  do  you  more  harm 
than  good  if  we  remained,"  replied  the  major. 
"  If  we  stayed  here  it  might  produce  a  fight,  and 
that  would  imperil  your  family.  I  think  the 
enemy  will  be  too  much  in  a  hurry  to  stop  to 
molest  you  if  they  march  by  this  road,  as  they 
may  or  may  not." 

"  I    had   hoped   to  see   more  of  your  son  who 


PERPLEXING  MOVEMENTS  OF  THE  ENEMY   171 

rendered  such  a  great  service  last  night,"  said 
Mrs.  Barkland. 

"And  I  wanted  to  see  him  very  much,"  said 
the  daughter. 

"  They  have  no  time  to  meet  you  at  present." 

"  But  what  is  the  matter  with  your  arm,  Mr. 
Lyon  ?  "  asked  Miss  Barkland,  when  she  dis- 
covered the  extra  bandage  which  the  doctor  had 
put  on  outside  of  his  coat. 

"  I  got  a  scratch ;  but  it  wasn't  the  cat  that 
did  it,"  replied  Deck,  laughing. 

"  Both  of  my  boys  have  been  slightly  wounded 
to-day  in  the  action  down  by  the  cross-roads ; 
but  they  are  still  able  to  do  their  duty,  and 
I  thank  God  it  was  no  worse,"  added  Major 
Lyon,  as  he  took  the  hand  of  the  planter. 

They  all  took  the  hand  of  Deck,  and  repeated 
their  thanks  to  him.  He  followed  his  father  out 
of  the  house,  in  front  of  which  they  met  Knox. 

"  The  enemy  are  moving  down  this  road, 
Major  Lyon,"  said  the  Kentuckian  as  he  saluted. 

"  All  right ;  give  the  captain  my  order  to 
march  at  a  gallop,"  replied  the  commander,  as 
he  mounted  his  own  horse. 

The  column  moved;  and  the  major  soon  reached 


172  IlSr  THE   SADDLE 

the  head  of  it,  where  he  took  his  place  hy  the 
side  of  the  captain. 

"The  enemy  have  started  upon  this  road,"  said 
he.  "Whetlier  or  not  they  have  sent  another 
detachment  around  by  that  back  road  can  hardly 
be  known  till  we  find  them  there." 

"  The  captain  of  the  Texan  Rangers  does  not 
seem  to  have  any  contempt  for  strategy,  as  was  re- 
ported of  him,"  replied  Captain  Gordon.  "I  have 
no  doubt  his  scouts  informed  him  that  the  River- 
lawn  Cavalry  were  in  camp  on  the  plantation." 

"  And  I  have  no  doubt  now,  from  the  way  things 
have  worked,  that  the  detachment  were  sent  round 
to  take  us  in  the  flank.  They  don't  seem  to  have 
made  any  connection  with  Captain  Titus's  com- 
pany, and  did  not  expect  to  find  one  of  our  com- 
panies at  the  bridge." 

There  was  some  confusion  ahead,  and  the  com- 
pany were  thrown  back.  The  column  had  over- 
taken the  prisoners  and  the  baggage.  The  captain 
sent  forward  an  order  for  both  to  take  the  side  of 
the  road.  The  major  saw  his  brother  drawn  up 
with  the  others,  and  he  shouted  "  Noah ! "  as  he 
was  passing;  but  tlie  commander  took  no  notice 
of  him. 


A   LONG   WAIT   FOR   THE    ENEMY  173 


CHAPTER   XIV 

A  LONG   WAIT  FOR   THE  ENEMY 

The  only  feeling  Major  Lyon  had  in  reg-ard  to 
his  unfortunate  brother  was  that  of  sorrow.  If 
he  had  been  disposed  to  do  so,  he  could  not  leave 
his  soldiers  to  converse  with  him,  as  Titus  evi- 
dently desired;  for  he  was  hurrying  the  first  com- 
pany forward  in  order  to  unite  his  forces  and 
secure  a  favorable  position  before  the  enemy  in 
his  rear  could  overtake  him.  Doubtless  Titus 
desired  to  make  a  request  of  some  kind ;  perhaps 
to  be  set  at  libert}^,  perhaps  only  to  demand  a 
ration  of  whiskey. 

The  captain  was  so  imprudent  that  he  was  as 
likely  as  otherwise  to  reproach  him,  call  him  a 
thief,  or  something  of  that  kind,  as  he  had  done 
before,  in  the  presence  of  his  command.  He  had 
been  captured  in  the  act  of  committing  a  dastardly 
outrage,  as  Avell  as  being  in  the  military  service 
of  the  enemy.     He  was  willing  to  extend  to  him 


174  IN   THE   SADDLE 

every  reasonable  privilege ;  but  he  was  a  prisoner 
of  war,  to  take  the  mildest  view  of  his  condition, 
and  the  major  was  not  a  man  who  could  be  con- 
veniently blind  to  an  obvious  duty. 

The  first  company  proceeded  on  its  rapid  march, 
and  in  a  short  time  reached  the  cross-roads,  where 
it  was  halted,  with  the  head  of  the  cojumn  near 
the  camp  at  the  railroad  bridge.  Captain  Truman 
hastened  to  the  major  as  soon  as  he  halted,  and 
the  commander  extended  his  hand  to  him. 

"  I  commend  you,  Ca})tain  Truman,  for  the  good 
work  you  have  accomplished;  and  I  thank  you 
for  the  skill,  courage,  and  devotion  with  which 
you  have  done  your  duty.  But  the  enemy  are  in 
motion  in  this  direction  on  the  south  road,  and 
we  have  no  time  for  anything  but  preparation  for 
the  immediate  future.  It  is  possible  that  a  de- 
tachment of  the  enemy  may  approach  by  the  east 
road." 

"  I  have  a  picket  stationed  a  mile  up  that  road, 
and  we  shall  have  early  notice  of  any  force  com- 
ing from  that  direction,  Major  Lyon,"  replied  the 
captain  of  the  second  company,  which  had  just 
been  sent  back  by  the  order  of  which  Artie  had 
been  the  bearer. 


A  LONG    WAIT   FOR   THE    ENEMY  175 

"  Very  well.  You  have  fought  a  severe  fight, 
Captain;  in  what  condition  are  your  men?"  in- 
quired the  commander. 

"  They  are  in  excellent  condition  ;  for  they  have 
found  that  they  are  fully  the  equals  of  the  Texans 
on  fighting  ground,  and  they  are  ready  and  anx- 
ious to  meet  the  enemy  again.  We  have  buried 
our  dead,  and  our  wounded  are  doing  well." 

Major  Lyon  had  carefully  studied  the  face  of 
the  country  for  several  miles  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  planter's  mansion,  from  his  elevated  position 
on  the  building,  and  had  observed  it  for  the  pres- 
ent situation  as  he  rode  down  from  the  plantation. 
He  had  confidently  expected  an  attack  while  he 
was  near  the  house  of  Mr.  Barkland.  He  had 
arranged  his  plan  to  receive  the  assault ;  and  Lieu- 
tenant Belthorpe,  with  one-third  of  the  company, 
had  been  sent  around  through  the  grove  to  a 
position  behind  a  knoll,  which  would  effectually 
conceal  him  from  the  enemy  till  the  time  came  for 
him  to  assail  the  Texans  in  the  flank  and  rear. 

Captain  Gordon  had  heartily  approved  this  plan, 
and  they  had  force  enough  to  carry  it  out  success- 
fully. Major  Lyon  regretted  very  much  that  the 
issue  had  not  come  in  the  manner  he  had  antici- 


176  IN   THE   SADDLE 

pated.  The  plan  of  the  captain  of  the  Rangers 
had  evidently  failed  because  he  had  not  heard 
from  the  detachment  sent  by  the  hill  road,  as  the 
natives  called  it.  He  must  have  had  some  means 
of  knowing  where  this  flanking  party  were,  or  he 
would  have  moved  sooner.  Probably  a  swift  rider 
was  to  have  been  sent  back  when  the  force  reached 
the  cross-roads;  but  they  had  not  got  so  far  as 
that.  His  first  news  must  have  been  the  defeat 
of  this  portion  of  his  command. 

"  Captain  Truman,  have  you  noticed  a  consider- 
able knoll  on  the  left  of  the  south  road,  just  above 
the  cross-roads  ?  "  asked  the  major. 

"I  have;  and  I  thought  of  posting  my  reserve 
under  Lieutenant  Gadbury  there ;  but  I  found  it 
was  too  far  off  for  the  time  at  my  command,"  re- 
plied the  captain. 

"Can  it  be  reached  without  going  by  the  south 
road?" 

"  Very  easily ;  by  riding  through  this  field,  where 
we  were  posted  this  morning,  crossing  the  east 
road,  and  then  through  a  valley,  which  will  con- 
ceal the  force  till  they  reach  the  shelter  of  the 
knoll." 

"  How  many  men  can  you  muster  in  your  com- 
pany ?  " 


A   LONG    WAIT    FOR   THE    ENEMY  177 

"About  eigiit}^  if  you  are  to  remain  in  this 
vicinity;  for  ten  or  fifteen  will  be  a  sufficient 
guard  for  the  prisonerSi" 

"  Then  you  will  march  your  available  force  to 
the  point  indicated.  I  see  that  you  have  hoisted 
the  American  flag  on  the  railroad  bridge,"  added 
the  major. 

"  It  is  the  camp  flag,  and  I  wanted  it  in  the  most 
sightly  place  I  could  find,"  replied  the  captain. 

"  It  will  answer  a  double  purpose,  then.  Could 
you  see  it  from  behind  the  knoll  ?  " 

"Perfectly;  we  did  not  get  the  flag-pole  ele- 
vated till  half  an  hour  ago." 

"I  shall  send  Deck  to  lower  that  flag,  and  re- 
main by  the  staff  till  I  give  him  the  signal  to  hoist 
it  again.  Then  you  will  march  to  the  south  road 
with  all  speed,  and  attack  the  enemy  in  the  rear 
or  on  the  flank." 

"I  understand  you  perfectly,  Major  Lyon,  and 
your  order  shall  be  carried  out  to  the  letter," 
replied  Captain  Truman,  as  he  saluted,  and  hur- 
ried to  his  company,  which  had  been  formed  in  the 
field  by  the  side  of  the  road. 

"Dexter!  "  called  the  commander,  when  he  had 
found  his  son  in  the  ranks. 


178  IN   THE   SADDLE 

Both  of  the  boys  had  been  used  as  messengers 
during  the  morning,  and  this  service  had  led  them 
into  the  most  dangerous  positions ;  and  both  of 
them  had  fought  like  heroes  as  volunteers  while 
their  company  was  at  the  plantation. 

Deck  came  out  of  his  place  in  the  ranks,  saluted 
his  father,  and  expected  to  be  called  upon  for 
more  messenger  service,  hoping  it  would  lead  him 
into  the  thickest  of  the  action,  as  it  had  before. 

"  Do  you  see  that  flag  on  the  railroad  bridge. 
Dexter?"  asked  his  father,  pomting  at  the  ensign. 

"I  do;  and  I  take  off  my  cap  to  it,"  replied 
Deck,  suiting  the  action  to  the  word. 

"  You  will  go  to  it  and  haul  it  down,  my  son." 

"  Haul  down  the  American  flag ! "  exclaimed 
Deck. 

"As  long  as  it  is  not  for  a  surrender  or  the 
abandonment  of  the  camp,  you  need  have  no 
scruples  about  it,"'  replied  the  major,  with  a  smile 
at  the  boy's  objection.  "  You  will  obey  the  order, 
and  you  will  remain  at  the  staff.  When  you  see 
me  wave  my  handkerchief  three  times  in  the  air, 
you  may  set  your  conscience  at  ease  by  hoisting 
the  flag  again." 

The    commander    made    the    signal    over    his 


A  LONG   WAIT  FOR   THE    ENEMY  179 

plumed  hat,  so  that  the  messenger  would  be  able  to 
recognize  it  when  it  was  given  in  the  fight,  if  there 
should  be  one,  of  which  he  was  not  altogether  sure 
after  the  disappointment  of  the  morning. 

"  I  shall  see  that  signal  fi'om  the  bridge  if  it  is 
made  three  miles  off." 

"  Keep  your  eyes  wide  open  after  the  engage- 
ment begins  ;  for  it  is  a  signal,  really  an  order  from 
me,  of  the  utmost  importance,  and  the  result  of 
the  action  may  depend  upon  it,"  added  the  major 
very  impressively.  "I  have  called  upon  you  for 
this  service  because  I  know  I  can  depend  upon 
you,  Dexter." 

"  Of  course  I  shall  do  my  duty  and  obey  my 
orders  to  the  best  of  my  ability,"  replied  Deck ; 
but  judging  from  the  expression  on  his  face  he 
was  not  pleased  with  the  mission  assigned  to  him. 

"  You  can  go  to  the  bridge  at  once ;  but  you 
will  not  haul  the  flag  down  till  I  make  the  signal 
agreed  upon  to  you,"  added  Major  Lyon. 

"  But,  father,  do  you  expect  to  fight  this  battle 
without  me  ? "  asked  Deck,  with  a  very  cheerful 
smile  on  his  face ;  and  he  would  not  have  said 
as  much  as  that  to  any  other  person,  even  as  a 
joke. 


180  IN  THE   SADDLE 

"  You  have  made  yourself  the  hero  of  the  day, 
and  perhaps  you  ought  to  have  a  little  rest," 
replied  his  father,  quite  as  cheerfully  as  the  son, 
for  he  took  the  question  as  it  was  intended. 

"  I  don't  exactly  like  the  idea  of  squatting  on 
that  bridge,  and  looking  on  while  .there  is  any 
fighting  going  on,"  continued  the  young  soldier. 

"  But  the  position  to  which  I  have  assigned 
you  is  one  of  the  most  important  on  the  field. 
I  can  trust  you  to  be  watchful,  while  another,  in- 
terested in  the  action,  might  neglect  his  duty." 

"  I  have  nothing  more  to  say,  father,"  replied 
Deck,  as  he  rode  off  in  the  direction  of  the 
bridge. 

Major  Lyon  had  made  his  dispositions  and 
issued  his  orders  before  he  spoke  to  his  son. 
Captain  Truman  was  galloping  over  the  field 
towards  the  east  road,  with  sixty  men,  which 
was  the  number  finally  designated  for  the  ser- 
vice at  the  knoll.  Captain  Gordon  had  posted 
his  men  along  the  roads  and  the  adjoining  fields. 
The  baggage-wagons  and  the  prisoners  had  ar- 
rived from  the  plantations,  and  Captain  Titus 
had  an  opportunity  to  rejoin  his  company;  but 
the   glory    of   his    military   life    seemed   to   have 


A  LONG   WAIT   FOE   THE    ENEMY  181 

passed  away.  He  was  treated  the  same  as  the 
rest  of  the  prisoners,  and  no  one  took  any  notice 
of  him.  He  was  not  in  good  odor  even  in  his 
own  company;  for  his  men  declared  that  he  had 
deserted  them  the  night  before. 

The  enemy  had  not  yet  appeared ;  and  even  the 
pickets  that  had  been  posted  a  mile  down  the 
south  road  had  not  been  driven  in,  which  would 
be  the  first  indication  that  hostilities  were  at  hand. 
Those  from  the  second  company  who  were  scout- 
ing the  east  road  had  not  been  heard  from ;  and 
they  had  been  ordered  to  proceed  as  far  as  a 
certain  hill,  where  Artie  had  first  seen  the  de- 
tachment sent  that  way. 

Noon  came,  and  the  soldiers  ate  their  dinner 
from  their  haversacks,  and  the  horses  took  their 
oats  from  the  grass.  It  was  a  very  quiet  time, 
and  the  Riverlawn  battalion  would  have  been 
glad  to  receive  an  order  to  march  upon  the  enemy 
wherever  they  could  be  found.  They  were  im- 
patient for  something  to  do,  especially  the  first 
company,  which  had  not  yet  seen  any  fighting. 

Major  Lyon  improved  his  time  as  he  took  his 
lunch  with  Captain  Truman,  in  listening  to  a 
fuller  report  of  the  action  on  the  east  road.     The 


182  IN  THE   SADDLE 

commander  asked  particularly  in  regard  to  the 
lieutenant  who  had  fallen  under  the  onslaught 
of  Deck  Lyon.  He  had  been  wounded  in  the 
chest  by  a  ball,  and  he  had  gone  down  from  a 
cut  of  the  young  soldier's  sabre.  He  had  been 
stunned  by  the  blow,  and  left  on  the  field.  But 
he  had  been  conveyed  to  the  camp  in  the  wagon 
with  other  wounded  men,  and  the  surgeon  had 
dressed  his  wounds.  He  believed  he  would  re- 
cover. 

"  I  should  like  to  see  that  man,"  said  the  major. 

"  I  saw  him  walking  about  the  shanty  hospital 
not  long  ago.  I  spoke  with  him,  and  he  is  a 
very  gentlemanly  fellow.  You  can  send  for  him 
if  you  wish.  Major.  But  it  is  time  for  me  to 
join  my  company,  as  I  sent  the  men  in  charge 
of  Lieutenant  Gadbury ;  for  I  had  to  give  some 
orders  in  regard  to  the  prisoners." 

"I  will  not  send  for  him ;  but  I  will  ride  down 
to  the  hospital,  which  is  only  a  few  rods  from  the 
cross-roads.  Captain  Gordon,  I  wish  to  have  some 
one  near  me  to  carry  my  orders,  if  need  be,"  said 
the  commander,  as  Captain  Truman  rode  off. 

"Your  orderly?"  asked  the  captain. 

"  I   prefer   Artie    Lyon ;    I   have   already   sent 


A  LONG   WAIT   FOR   THE    ENEMY  183 

Dexter  on  duty  upon  the  bridge.  I  am  going 
down  to  the  hospital ;  send  me  notice  at  once  if 
any  movement  is  apparent." 

Artie  was  sent  to  him  at  once ;  but  Deck  had 
told  him  where  he  was  going,  and  he  hoped  he 
would  not  be  sent  to  join  him.  He  followed  his 
father  to  the  hospital,  where  Dr.  Farnwright  re- 
ceived him.  He  asked  for  the  Texan  lieutenant ; 
and  the  surgeon  pointed  him  out,  seated  on  a 
log  at  the  side  of  the  road. 

"  This  is  Major  Lyon,  commanding  the  squad- 
ron," said  the  doctor,  introducing  him. 

The  officer  rose  from  his  seat,  and  saluted  the 
major  very  politely. 

"  This  gentleman  is  Lieutenant  Makepeace,  of 
the  Texan  Rangers,"  added  the  surgeon. 

"That  does  not  sound  like  a  Southern  name," 
replied  Major  Lyon,  and  he  took  the  hand  of  the 
wounded  officer. 

"  I  am  a  Northern  man  ;  but  my  home  has  been 
in  Texas  for  seven  years,  though  I  came  from  a 
New  England  State." 

"  I  regret  to  see  you  on  the  wrong  side  in  this 
war,  though  I  am  sorry  that  you  have  been 
wounded." 


184  IN  THE   SADDLE 

"I  don't  know  exactly  how  I  came  in  this 
service ;  but  I  was  very  near  being  elected  to 
the  captaincy  of  this  company,  though  I  am  not 
a  Texan." 

"Who  is  the  commander  of  the  company?" 

"•Captain  Dingfield." 

"  There  comes  the  picket  down  the  hill !  "  ex- 
claimed Artie,  who  had  discovered  half-a-dozen 
men  running  their  horses  down  the  descent. 

"  Then  I  must  leave  you ;  but  I  shall  see  you 
again,"  added  the  major,  as  he  dashed  up  the 
road  at  full  speed. 


THE  AMERICAN  FLAG   ON   THE   BRIDGE      185 


CHAPTER    XV 

THE  AMERICAN  FLAG  ON  THE  BRIDGE 

As  Major  Lyon  rode  out  from  the  hospital  he 
encountered  Sergeant  Sluder  pressing  his  horse 
to  the  best  of  his  speed ;  but  it  was  hardly 
necessary  for  him  to  deliver  the  message  of  which 
he  was  the  bearer,  for  there  was  movement 
enough  among  the  men  to  assure  him  that  the 
enemy  were  approaching,  even  if  Artie  had  not 
seen  the  return  of  the  pickets. 

The  major  waved  his  handkerchief  three  times 
above  his  plumed  hat,  and  the  American  flag 
came  down  at  once  on  the  bridge.  Deck  liad  not 
fallen  asleep  at  his  post,  though  he  found  the 
situation  very  monotonous.  The  sergeant  reached 
the  commander,  and  delivered  a  message  from 
Captain  Gordon.  The  major  had  never  been  in 
a  regular  battle,  only  in  the  affairs  with  the 
ruffians  at  Riverlawn  and  Lyndhall. 

In  fact,  there  had  been  nothing  in  the  present 


186  IN  THE   SADDLE 

campaign  which  could  properly  be  called  a  battle. 
The  second  company  had  done  all  the  fighting  so 
far.  At  the  bridge  a  few  shots  had  demoralized 
the  Home  Guards ;  and  though  the  action  in  the 
road  had  been  severe,  it  was  hardly  more  than  a 
skirmish.  But  the  commander  had  proved  be- 
fore that  he  had  abundance  of  courage,  though 
he  had  engaged  in  less  actual  fighting  than  his 
two  sons. 

Major  Lyon  reached  the  position  of  Captain 
Gordon  just  as  the  pickets  came  in,  headed  by 
Life  Knox.  The  men  were  all  in  position,  and 
those  of  the  first  company  were  eager  for  the 
conflict;  for  they  had  done  nothing,  and  rather 
envied  their  companions  in  the  second  company, 
who  had  fought  and  won  a  victory  against  a  por- 
tion of  the  enemy.  They  were  very  much  ex- 
cited, and  it  would  have  suited  them  better  if 
their  captain  had  led  them  in  a  charge  at  once 
against  the  Texans  ;  for  the  most  trying  position 
of  the  ordinary  soldier  is  when  he  is  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  enemy,  and  is  permitted  to  do  nothing 
but  wait ;  and  they  had  been  doing  that  all  day. 

"You  have  been  driven  in,  Knox,"  said  Captain 
Gordon,  as  the  sergeant  saluted  him. 


THE   AMERICAN   FLAG   ON   THE   BRIDGE      187 

"  Not  exactly  driven  in,  Captain,"  replied  the 
Kentuckian  with  a  cheerful  smile,  as  though 
events  were  not  moving  half  fast  enough  for 
him.  "  The  Texicans  are  marching  as  though 
they  were  going  to  a  funeral,  and  they  don't 
seem  to  be  in  no  hurry  to  git  here." 

"  But  you  came  down  the  slope  as  though  you 
were  not  going  to  a  funeral,"  added  the  captain. 

"Where 'are  the  enemy  now,  Knox?"  asked 
the  major. 

"  They  are  about  half-  way  betwixt  here  and 
the  mansion-house  of  the  planter.  I  didn't  hurry 
up  to  tell  you  they  were  coming,  but  to  let  you 
know  that  I  had  seen  a  force  over  on  the  road 
in  the  hills.  I  thought  I  saw  something  moving ; 
and  I  climbed  to  the  top  of  the  tallest  tree  I 
could  find,  on  the  highest  ground  'twixt  here 
and  the  planter's  house." 

"  What  did  you  see  ?  "  demanded  the  major. 

"  I  got  a  look  through  a  small  notch  between 
two  hills,  and  I  saw  some  cavalry  pass  along ; 
but  I  reckon  I  saw  only  the  tail  end  on  'em, 
for  they  was  out  o'  sight  in  two  seconds,  and  I 
couldn't  find  nothin'  more  on  'em.  I  knew  then 
why  the  company  wasn't  in  no  hurry." 


188  IN   THE   SADDLE 

"  Then,  I  suppose  we  are  in  no  hurry,"  added 
the  major.  "  I  see  that  Captain  Dingfield  intends 
to  carry  out  his  plan  as  he  laid  it  out  for  this 
forenoon." 

"  Who  ?  "  asked  the  captain. 

"Captain  Dingfield,  who  commands  the  Texans; 
I  learned  his  name  from  the  lieutenant  who  was 
wounded.  I  hardly  supposed  he  would  send  an- 
other flanking  party  by  that  road,"  replied  Major 
Lyon.  "  This  news  calls  for  some  change  in  our 
plans." 

"  I  reckon  that  captain  on  the  south  road  hain't 
got  over  fifty  men  with  him,  if  he  has  that,"  con- 
tinued the  sergeant. 

"How  could  you  estimate  the  number,  Knox," 
asked  the  captain. 

"  When  I  am  sent  out  scouting,  I  generally  find 
out  all  I  can,"  replied  the  sergeant,  who  looked  as 
though  he  felt  that  the  correctness  of  his  informa- 
tion had  been  questioned. 

"  We  know  you  do,  Knox ;  and  we  only  want  to 
know  your  means  of  arriving  at  a  conclusion,  in 
order  to  judge  of  the  accuracy  of  your  report,"  the 
captain  explained. 

"  I  looked  them  over  when  I  climbed  the  tree," 


THE   AMERICAN   FLAG   ON   THE   BEHDGE      189 

continued  the  scout  with  energy.  "  The  force 
was  just  coming  round  a  bend  in  the  road  down  a 
hill,  and  I  counted  in  fours  up  to  forty.  I  don't 
know  how  many  scouts  they  had  out  ahead,  but  I 
added  ten  to  what  I  had  counted." 

"I  have  no  doubt  you  are  quite  correct,  Ser- 
geant," added  the  captain.  "  I  did  not  doubt  your 
statement  in  the  first  place,  and  I  was  only  curious 
to  know  how  you  were  able  to  make  up  your 
estimate." 

"  I  saw  that  six  of  you  came  down  the  hill  to- 
gether ;  have  you  left  no  pickets  in  front  of  the 
company  ?  "  inquired  the  major. 

"  The  captain  gave  me  nine  men  to  scout  the 
region  over  there,  and  six  of  'em  have  come  in,  for 
I  thought  they  might  be  wanted,"  answered  Knox. 

"  You  knew  that  we  had  nearly  two  hundred 
men  at  this  point,"  suggested  the  major,  who 
realized  that  the  sergeant  had  something  in  his 
mind  to  which  he  was  slow  to  give  utterance. 

"  If  this  is  a  council  of  war.  Major  Lyon,  I  ain't 
in  it,  and  I've  told  all  I  know,"  replied  Knox. 
"  I  have  reported  that  the  Texicans  is  divided  into 
two  bodies,  one  on  'em  comin'  down  the  south 
road  slower'n  cold  molasses  runs,  and  the.  other's 


190  IN   THE   SADDLE 

moviii'  over  the  hill  road  ;  and  I  reckon  they  ain't 
goin'  to  no  funeral  over  yonder." 

"  In  other  words,  you  think  the  two  divisions  of 
the  enemy  intend  to  attack  at  the  same  time," 
added  the  major. 

"  What  be  they  goin'  over  that  way  for  if  that 
ain't  what  they  mean?"  asked  the  Kentuckian  in  an- 
swer to  the  question.  "But  I  don't  feel  sartin  that 
they  mean  to  come  down  here  by  the  east  road." 

"  What  else  can  they  do  ?  "  inquired  the  major, 
much  interested  in  drawing  out  the  sergeant. 

"  I  don't  reckon  I'd  better  say  anything  more. 
I  obey  orders,  but  I  don't  give  none,"  answered 
Knox,  who  was  evidently  afraid  of  thrusting  him- 
self into  the  counsels  of  his  superiors.  "  Captain 
Dingbat"  — 

"Dingfield,"  interposed  the  captain  with  a 
smile. 

"  Captain  Dingfield  sent  them  men  over  here  to 
knock  down  and  burn  that  bridge  ;•  and  I  reckon 
he's  go'n'  to  do  it  if  he  can." 

"And  I  am  sent  here  to  prevent  him  from  do- 
ing it ;  and  I  shall  do  so  if  I  can.  You  may  speak 
out  loud,  Knox,  just  what  you  wish  to  say,"  said 
the  major  rather  impatiently. 


THE   AMERICAN   FLAG    ON   THE   BRIDGE      191 

"  If  you  look  at  that  map  you  had  on  the  house-' 
top,  you  will  see  that  the  hill  road  crosses  the  east 
road,  just  as  this  south  one  does  here.  Ain't  that 
so,  Artie  ?  You  have  been  over  there,  they  say," 
said  the  sergeant,  appealing  to  the  major's  aid. 

"  It  does ;  I  was  up  there  some  time  this  morn- 
ing ;  but  I  don't  know  where  it  leads  to,"  replied 
Artie. 

"  It  stands  to  reason  that  it  crosses  this  railroad 
somewhere  within  five  miles  of  this  cross-road. 
That's  the  way  the  Texicans  are  coming  down 
here  to  destroy  the  bridge.  I've  said  my  say,  and 
I  hain't  got  nothin'  more  to  say,"  added  Knox, 
wheeling  his  horse  out  of  the  cirele  that  sur- 
rounded the  commander. 

"  Artie,  do  you  know  where  Captain  Truman  is 
posted  with  his  command?"  asked  the  major  in 
rather  hurried  tones. 

"  I  do  not,"  replied  the  aid,  as  he  had  now  prac- 
tically become,  though  the  position  was  not  regu- 
lar for  a  private. 

The  commander  pointed  out  the  knoll  behind 
which  the  captain's  force  had  been  sent. 

"  Follow  the  east  road  till  you  can  see  behind 
that  hill.     Captain  Truman  is  there,  and  you  can- 


192  IN   THE   SADDLE 

-readily  find  him,"  continued  Major  Lyon.  "  Give 
him  my  order  to  move  his  command  out  to  the 
east  road,  and  there  await  further  orders." 

Artie's  steed  was  well  rested  after  his  several 
forenoon  jaunts,  and  he  went  up  the  slope  of 
the  road  like  the  wind.  Sergeant  I\nox  had 
retired  from  the  immediate  presence  of  the  su- 
perior officers,  afraid  that  he  was  getting  to  be 
too  forward  for  his  rank.  He  believed  that  the 
force  moving  by  the  hill  road  had  been  ordered 
to  the  railroad.  While  the  major  was  not  dis- 
posed to  accept  his  view  in  full,  he  intended 
to  be  prepared  for  a  movement  of  the  kind  sug- 
gested by  the  Kentuckian. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  the  idea  advanced 
by  Knox,  Captain  Gordon  ?  "  asked  the  com- 
mander. 

"Of  course  it  is  possible  that  he  has  cor- 
rectly divined  the  intention  of  the  enemy,"  re- 
plied the  captain.  "  But  it  would  not  be  wise 
to  ignore  the  enemy  in  front  of  us." 

"  I  have  no  intention  of  doing  so ;  for  I  have 
ordered  Truman  to  the  east  road,  in  readiness 
to  act  to  the  north  of  us,  while  we  give  our 
attention  to  the  enemy  in  front  of  us.     We  have" 


THE   AMERICAN   FLAG   ON   THE   BRIDGE      193 

men  enough  to  annihilate  this  force,  if  it  is  no 
larger  than  Knox  states." 

"I  believe  he  is  entirely  correct  in  his  figures ; 
and  I  am  inclined  to  have  considerable  confi- 
dence in  his  theory  of  Captain  Dingfield's  plan." 

"Probably  we  have  double  the  force  of  the 
enemy  in  this  vicinity;  and  it  would  be  a  cry- 
ing shame  if  the  bridge  were  destroyed  because 
we  were  outmancenvred,"  said  the  major,  Avith 
more  than  usual  vigor  in  his  speech.  "  Theie 
is  tlie  structure  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of 
us,  and  I  wonder  if  they  intend  to  destroy  it 
under  our  very  eyes.  But  where  are  the  Tex- 
ans  in  front  of  us  ?  Even  at  a  funeral  march 
they  ought  to  be  near  enough  by  this  time  to 
send  in  our  pickets." 

"  It  begins  to  look  as  thougli  they  were  amus- 
ing us  while  they  were  making  arrangements  to 
burn  the  bridge  elsewhere,"  replied  Captain  Gor- 
don, quite  as  anxious  about  the  situation  as  his 
superior.  "  Artie  has  made  quick  work  of  his 
orders,  for  Captain  Truman  is  half-way  to  the 
road,  just  coming  out  from  behind  the  hill." 

Major  Lyon  thought  of  Deck  on  the  bridge 
in  this  connection,  and  looked  in  that  direction. 


194  IN   THE   SADDLE 

The  signal  for  Captain  Truman's  command  to 
move  into  the  rear  of  the  force  advancing  by 
the  south  road  would  not  be  needed.  If  he 
deemed  it  advisable,  he  could  send  part  of  the 
first  company  to  a  point  near  the  road  he  had 
already  selected.  He  rode  to  a  place  where  the 
ground  was  a  little  higher  than  where  the  con- 
ference had  taken  place,  and  there  made  the 
signal  above  his  plume  upon  which  he  had  agreed 
with  Deck  and  the  captain  of  the  second  com- 
pany. He  repeated  it  till  Jie  had  made  it  tliree 
times ;  and  he  could  not  help  thinking  what  a 
relief  it  would  be  to  his  son  to  be  permitted  to 
leave  this  solitary  post. 

"A  cheer  for  the  American  flag,  which  will 
be  hoisted  on  the  railroad  again  in  a  moment ! " 
shouted  Major  Lyon  to  the  soldiers  near  him ; 
and  the  word  was  passed  along  through  the 
column. 

Tlie  cavalrymen  were  alwa^-s  ready  to  cheer 
the  flag;  and  in  a  few  moments  the  eyes  of  the 
entire  company  were  fixed  upon  the  flagstaff  on 
the  bridge.  The  major  watched  it  with  as  much 
interest  as  any  one  present ;  and  he  was  ready 
to  join   in   the    cheer,    and    to   lead   it   off.      He 


THE    AMERICAN    FLAG    OX    THE    BRIDGE      195 

waited  patiently  for  a  couple  of  minutes,  and 
then  lie  wondered  if  his  son  had  gone  to  sleep 
at  his  solitary  vigil ;  for  the  flag  did  not  mount 
to  the  proud  position  it  had  held  before  it  was 
lowered. 

Major  Lyon  waited  full  five  minutes,  but  no 
flag  appeared.  He  could  not  understand  it  after 
the  careful  charge  he  had  given  Deck  in  regard 
to  the  importance  of  the  position  to  which  he 
had  been  assigned.  It  was  fortunate  that  the 
plan  of  receiving  the  assault  had  been  changed; 
for  Captain  Truman's  command  would  have  re- 
mained behind  the  hill,  and  out  of  siofht  of  the 
conflict,  if  there  had  been  one,  while  his  men 
were  needed  in  the  road. 

As  the  hoisting  of  the  flag  was  no  longer 
needed  as  a  signal,  the  major  was  not  inclined 
to  say  anything  about  his  son's  failure  to  do  his 
duty;  for  all  his  men  might  be  needed  at  any 
moment  to  repel  an  attack  on  the  south  road, 
and  another  on  the  east  road.  But  he  was  very 
indignant,  as  well  as  very  much  grieved,  at  Deck's 
neglect  of  duty ;  for  it  did  not  occur  to  him  that 
there  could  be  any  excuse  for  or  justification  of 
the  boy's  conduct. 


196  IN   THE   SADDLE 

Major  Lyon  used  his  field-glass  diligently  for 
some  time,  while  he  was  waiting  for  the  appear- 
ance of  the  first  company's  pickets,  as  he  had  not 
thought  to  do  at  first.  With  this  aid  he  examined 
the  top  of  the  bridge  very  closely ;  but  he  could 
see  nothing  of  the  absent  soldier.  It  did  not 
enter  his  mind  that  anything  could  have  hap- 
pened to  the  young  man,  for  the  bridge  was  a 
high  one,  and  in  sight  of  all  in  tlie  ranks,  and  in 
the  camp  on  the  shore  of  the  creek  ;  though  the 
stream  was  large  enough  to  be  called  a  river  in 
any  Northern  State. 

Close  by  the  flagstaff,  over  the  abutment  of  the 
bridge,  was  a  high  fence  extending  a  short  disr 
tance.  Some  thouglxt  it  had  been  built  where 
the  snow  was  troublesome  in  winter ;  others,  that 
it  was  the  side  of  a  shanty  which  had  stood  there, 
and  only  the  roof  and  ends  had  been  lemoved. 
If  Deck  was  not  behind  this  fence,  he  was  not  on 
the  bridge,  was  the  conclusion  of  his  father.  But 
a  movement  on  the  east  road  called  his  attention 
away  from  the  subject. 


THE    EXPLOSION   ON   THE   BRIDGE  197 


CHAPTER   XVI 

THE   EXPLOSION   ON   THE   BRIDGE 

The  movement  on  the  east  road,  where  the 
fight  of  the  morning  with  the  Texans  had  taken 
place,  was  occasioned  by  the  simultaneous  arrival 
of  the  second  company  from  behind  the  knoll,  and 
the  hasty  return  of  the  pickets  from  the  hill  re- 
gion. The  former  was  there  in  accordance  with 
the  order  of  which  Artie  was  the  bearer  to  Cap- 
tain Truman ;  but  the  latter  event  was  the  more 
important,  inasmuch  as  it  promised  to  reveal  the 
operations  of  the  enemy,  which  had  hitherto  been 
concealed. 

The  sergeant  in  charge  of  the  picket  reported 
in  hot  haste  to  the  captain  of  the  second  company, 
by  whom  he  had  been  sent  out;  and  a  moment 
later  Artie  was  flying  down  the  hill  to  the  major, 
with  the  substance,  in  a  short  sentence,  of  the  in- 
telligence brought  in.  The  commander  had  no- 
ticed the  rapid  movement  on   the   road,   though 


198  IN   THE   SADDLE 

Captain  Truman  had  come  ont  of  the  field  half  a 
mile  from  the  cross-roads.  The  pickets  came  at 
a  furious  gallop ;  for  the  sergeant,  though  not 
admitted  to  the  counsels  of  the  officers,  wns  in- 
telligent enough  to  understand  the  importance  of 
his  report. 

Major  Lyon,  though  he  had  begun  to  be  alarmed 
at  the  non-appearance  of  Deck  on  the  bridge,  lias- 
tened  back  to  the  cross-roads,  where  Artie  soon 
rode  up  to  him.  The  delay  of  the  enemy  on  the 
south  road  was  generally  understood  to  be  caused 
by  the  non-arrival  of  an  expected  detachment  from 
the  hills.  The  major  knew  what  the  report  of  the 
pickets  would  be  before  it  Avas  brought  to  him:  for 
his  impression  was  that  Life  Knox  was  correct  in 
his  interpretation  of  the  intention  of  the  enemy. 
The  disappearance  of  Deck  confirmed  his  belief 
that  operations  had  actually  commenced  on  the 
bridge. 

"The  pickets  report  that  a  detachment  of  about 
fifty  lias  marched  north  by  the  hill  road!  "  shouted 
Artie,  as  soon  as  he  came  within  speaking  distance 
of  liis  father. 

"  Ride  back  ;  give  Captain  Truman  my  order  to 
march  his  command    to   the  cross-roads!"  added 


THE    EXPLOSIOX    ON    THE    BRIDGE  199 

Major  Lyon  with  more  than  usual  energy,  though 
he  was  still  as  cool  and  self-possessed  as  he  had 
been  all  day. 

Artie  wheeled  his  horse,  and  in  a  moment  he 
was  running  Miss  Dolly  up  the  slope  at  a  break- 
neck speed. 

"  Captain  Gordon  !  "  called  the  major  as  he  rode 
toward  him. 

The  cajjtain  dashed  up  to  him  on  the  instant. 

"  Send  Knox  and  his  scouts  to  me ! "  added  the 
commander. 

The  Kentuckian  and  the  men  he  had  selected 
for  the  service  in  which  he  had  been  engaofed 
were  at  hand;  and  Knox  saluted  the  major,  iu 
readiness  for  any  duty  upon  which  he  might  be 
sent. 

"  Ride  to  the  bridge  I  Leave  your  horses  below ! 
Get  up  to  the  track  with  all  the  haste  you  can 
make  !  Deck  was  stationed  there  to  hoist  the 
flag  at  a  signal  from  me,  which  I  have  made 
several  times ;  but  he  does  not  obey  the  order, 
and  I  begin  to  fear  that  something  has  happened 
to  him,"  said  the  major  in  hurried  tones. 

■."111  find  him  if  he  is  there  I"  exclaimed  Knox, 
with  an  expression  of  determination  on  his  face. 


200  IN   THE   SADDLE 

"I  think  you  will  find  a  small  force  of  the 
enemy  near  the  bridge,  Knox.  Don't  fall  into 
any  trap ;  I  will  have .  at  least  half  a  company 
up  there  in  a  few  minutes." 

"  I  will  keep  my  e3^es  wide  open,  Major,"  re- 
plied the  Kentuekian,  as  he  rode  off  towards  the 
bridge. 

"  Captain  Gordon,  send  Lieutenant  Belthorpe 
with  half  your  company  to  the  bridge.  Just 
beyond  the  camp  he  will  find  a  practicable  road 
up  the  embankment.  He  will  be  in  abundant 
season  to  receive  the  force  approaching  by  the 
hill  road." 

The  captain  saluted  his  superior,  and  made  no 
reply.  It  was  evident  enough  to  the  commander 
that  Captain  Dingfield  had  been  on  the  alert,  and 
that  he  intended  to  destroy  the  bridge  even  in 
the  face  of,  and  under  the  very  eyes  of,  the  River- 
lawn  Cavalry,  of  double  his  own  strength,  though 
he  might  not  be  aware  of  its  numbers.  If  Major 
Lyon  did  not  manifest  his  chagrin  and  annoy- 
ance at  the  present  situation,  he  felt  it  none  the 
less. 

He  realized  that  Captain  Dingfield  had  been 
amusing  him  all  day  with  the  prospect  of  a  fight, 


THE    EXPLOSION    ON    THE    BRIDGE  201 

wliile  he  was  carrying  out  his  plan  for  destroying 
the  bridge.  It  was  all  plain  enougli  to  him  now, 
and  he  wondered  that  he  had  not  placed  a  guard 
on  the  bridge  early  in  the  morning.  It  looked 
now  like  a  serious  omission ;  but  he  hoped  it 
was  not  too  late  to  remedy  the  defect  in  his 
plan.  What  had  become  of  Deck  was  a  mystery 
he  could  not  fathom. 

After  the  hauling  down  of  the  flag,  the  major 
had  been  too  fully  occupied  elsewhere  to  think 
of  the  bridge,  and  he  had  not  even  glanced  at 
it  till  he  made  the  signal.  It  had  not  occurred 
to  him  that  the  structure  could  be  in  any  danger 
while  his  squadron  was  in  sight  of  it.  He  watched 
the  force  of  Lieutenant  Belthorpe  as  they  hur- 
ried by  the  road  to  the  point  where  they  could 
ascend  to  the  track,  and  he  believed  he  had  done 
all  that  was  necessary  to  save  the  bridge  from 
destruction. 

Captain  Truman  was  approaching  the  cross- 
roads with  his  company,  and  the  attack  of  Cap- 
tain Dingfield  might  be  expected  very  s'oon.  It 
was  necessary  to  make  a  new  arrangement  of  the 
troops.  The  major  had  already  formed  his  plan, 
and  he  wheeled  his  horse  to  join  Captain  Gordon 


202  IN   THE   SADDLE 

and  give  his  orders.  At  this  moment  an  explo- 
sion rent  the  air,  which  made  a  great  deal  of 
noise,  though  it  had  not  the  volume  of  an  earth- 
quake. 

Major  Lyon  turned  his  head,  expecting  to  see 
the  bridge  a  wreck,  with  the  fragments  of  it  flying 
in  the  air.  He  looked  for  Knox  and  his  com- 
panions, wlio  had  been  ordered  to  climb  upon  the 
bridge  without  waiting  to  ride  around  to  the  em- 
bankment. They  had  not  yet  mounted  the  abut- 
ment, and  were  then  securing  their  horses  near 
the  bank  of  the  creek.  But  the  bridge  was  not  a 
wreck,  though  some  timbers  and  planks  had  been 
elevated  in  the  air;  but  most  of  the  matter  tiiat 
was  thrown  up  appeared  to  be  earth  and  stones. 

But  wliere  was  Deck?  Even  with  the  pressure 
of  duty  upon  him,  he  could  be  excused  for  think- 
ing of  his  son,  who  had  so  strangely  disappeared. 
He  watched  the  movements  of  Knox  and  his  men. 
If  they  had  been  a  couple  of  minutes  later  they 
might  have  been  hurled  from  the  high  structure 
by  the  force  of  the  explosion.  But  he  was  greatly 
relieved  when  he  saw  that  they  were  not  liarmed, 
or  at  least  not  disabled ;  for  he  saw  the  tall  Ken- 
tuckian  running  with  all   his  might  to  the  abut- 


■tjlintr  carbiues  1     Charge  them  !" 


Page  207. 


THE    EXPLOSION    ON   THE   BRIUGE  203 

ment,  followed  by  his  five  men.  Tliey  were  all 
there,  and  they  began  to  climb  up  the  wall. 

Something  lilce  a  shout  from  the  direction  of 
the  cross-roads  attracted  the  major's  attention  at 
this  moment.  Wheeling  his  horse  again,  he  saw 
the  pickets  rushing  down  the  hill  beyond  which 
they  had  been  observing  the  enemy  on  their  "  fu- 
neral march."  Their  return  could  mean  but  one 
thing,  which  was  that  Captain  Dingfield's  com- 
mand were  advancing.    . 

Lieutenant  Belthorpe  was  hurrying  his  force  to 
the  embankment;  and  if  there  were  any  Rangers 
there,  he  would  soon  confront  them.  Knox  and 
his  companions  had  reached  the  top  of  the  bridge, 
and  all  of  them  were  busily  engaged  about  some- 
thing ;  but  the  observer  could  not  tell  what  it 
was,  though  tlie  appearance  of  several  small  vol- 
umes of  smoke  indicated  that  the  Texans  had 
started  several  fires  on  the  wooden  structure. 

The  head  of  the  enemy's  column  had  not  yet 
appeared  on  the  hill  which  shut  off  the  view  of 
the  planter's  mansion,  and  there  was  time  enough 
for  the  major  to  make  the  dispositions  of  his  force. 
Half  of  the  first  company  were  left,  and  the  whole 
of  the  second,  except  the  twenty  men  doing  guard 


204  IN   THE   SADDLE 

duty  at  the  camp.  The  commander  had  in  the 
neiofhborhood  of  a  hundred  and  twenty-five  men 
on  the  spot;  and  with  this  force  he  could  soon 
annihilate  the  fifty  troopers,  more  or  less,  whq 
were  marching  to  the  attack,  or  were  supposed 
to  be  doing  so. 

"Captain  Gordon,  take  what  is  left  of  the  first 
company,  and  make  a  detour  to  that  hill  on  the 
right  of  the  road.  It  is  nothing  more  than  a  knoll ; 
and  you  will  attack  them  on  the  flank  as  soon  as 
Truman  engages  them  in  the  road,"  said  the  major. 

"  I  was  thinking  of  suggesting  that  as  soon  as 
you  sent  for  Captain  Truman  at  the  knoll  on  the 
other  side  of  the  road,"  replied  the  captain,  when 
he  had  ordered  Gilder,  his  second  lieutenant,  to 
march  the  platoon  to  the  place  indicated. 

"  I  have  no  doubt  that  explosion  was  the  signal 
for  the  advance  of  Captain  Dingfield,"  added  the 
major,  as  he  looked  back  at  the  bridge,  where  the 
serofeant  and  his  men  were  still  at  Avorlc. 

"  It  looks  so ;  and  the  Rangers  must  have  had 
some  men  over  near  the  bridge  who  got  up  that 
attempt  to  blow  it  up.  But  it  looks  as  though 
it  was  a  failure,"  replied  Captain  Gordon,  as  he 
rode  off  to  join  his  command. 


THE  EXPLOSION    ON   THE  BRIDGE  205 

Captain  Truman,  Avith  about  seventy-five  troop- 
ers, was  at  tlie  cross-roads,  Avaiting  for  orders. 
The  major  directed  the  head  of  the  company  to 
place  the  troopers  in  the  road  and  at  the  side  of 
it,  with  their  carbines  unslung.  The  commander 
had  sent  Artie  for  a  sabre ;  and  he  had  taken  pos- 
session of  it,  indicating  that  he  did  not  intend  to 
be  an  idle  spectator  to  the  conflict  if  his  personal 
service  was  needed. 

"  Can  I  take  my  place  in  the  ranks  where  I 
belong,  father?"  asked  Artie. 

"No,  my 'son;  I  may  want  you  at  any  moment 
to  carry  an  order,"  replied  Major  Lyon ;  and  pos- 
sibly he  thought  this  might  be  the  only  son  left 
to  him  since  the  disappearance  of  Deck. 

"  There  comes  the  head  of  the  column ! "  ex- 
claimed Captain  Truman. 

"Have  your  men  all  ready  to  fire,  Captain," 
added  the  major.  "  But  don't  be  in  a  hurry  to 
do  so.     I  will  give  you  the  order." 

It  was  no  longer  a  funeral  march  on  the  part 
of  the  enemy,  for  they  were  forcing  their  steeds 
to  the  utmost.  The  captain  was  in  front  of  his 
platoon,  and  that  was  all  the  men  he  had.  He 
had  lost  one  lieutenant  at   the  first   action,  and 


206  IN   THE    SADDLE 

probably  he  had  been  compelled  to  send  the  second 
with  tlie  detachment  by  the  hill  road. 

"  It  looks  as  though  they  intended  to  begin  with 
a  charge,"  said  Captain  Truman. 

"Perhaps  the  captain  will  change  his  mind 
before  he  has  gone  much  farther,"  replied  the 
major  very  quietly. 

The  soldiers  acted  as  though  they  were  very 
impatient.  The  major  thought  the  Texan  captain 
was  reckless,  and  was  making  use  of  fire-eating 
tactics  instead  of  cool  military  judgment.  Pos- 
sibly lie  expected  to  be  able  to  cut  his  way 
tlu'ough  the  force  in  front  of  him,  and  join  the 
one  he  had  sent  to  the  bridge  by  the  hills. 

Probably  Captain  Dingfield  had  not  a  little  of 
the  contempt  for  Northern  soldiers  which  pervaded 
the  ranks  of  the  Confederate  army  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  war.  He  was  a  brave  and  impulsive 
man,  and  doubtless  believed  that  a  vigorous  charge 
would  d]-ive  the  Riverlawn  Cavalry  out  of  his  way, 
as  he  would  brush  away  tlie  flies  that  annoyed  him 
when  he  read  his  newspaper.  ,  The  fact  that  one 
portion  of  his  company  had  been  soundly  whipped 
iiiid  driven  from  the  field  appeared  to  have  no  in- 
fluence over  him. 


THE   EXPLOSION   ON   THE   BRIDGE  207 

"Now  is  your  time,  Captain  Truman,"  said  the 
major,  who  had  vv^aited  till  the  enemy  were  more 
than  half-way  down  the  hill.  "Have  your  men 
take  good  aim,  and  fire." 

The  captain  gave  his  orders  with  a  vim  which 
indicated  his  impatience  to  begin  his  work.  The 
carbines  were  all  discharged  almost  as  one,  and 
the  road  was  filled  with  the  smoke  of  the  volley ; 
but  the  breeze  was  fresh  enough  to  drive  it  away 
in  a  moment.  At  least  seventy-five  balls  had  been 
sent  into  the  midst  of  the  fifty  men,  and  the  troop- 
ers had  been  trained  to  do  good  work  with  their 
carbines. 

As  the  smoke  cleared  away,  it  was  seen  that  a 
number  of  the  Texans  had  fallen  from  their 
horses,  while  others  were  reeling  in  their  saddles. 
A  couple  of  minutes  later  another  volley  was 
heard  at  the  right  of  the  road,  and  more  of  the 
cavalrymen  went  down.  The  major  could  not  see 
the  command 'of  Captain  Gordon,  but  he  had  been 
prompt  in  the  discharge  of  the  duty  assigned  to 
him. 

"  Sling  carbines  !  charge  them  !  "  said  the  major. 

The  order  was  promptly  obeyed,  and  the  com- 
mander   rode    forward   with   the   captain   of    the 


208  IN    THE    SADDLE 

second  company.  But  in  a  minute  more  there 
was  nothing  there  to  chai-ge.  What  was  left  of 
the  enemy  suddenly  wheeled  their  horses  and 
began  a  retreat  in  hot  haste.  If  they  had  not 
done  so  not  one  of  them  would  have  been  left  to 
contest  the  field  in  five  minutes  more. 

The  first  company  were  just  breaking  out  of  the 
field  when  the  second  came  up,  and  Major  Lyon 
ordered  the  captain  of  the  second  to  halt.  .  Riding 
forward,  lie  directed  Captain  -Gordon  to  pursue  the 
discomfited  troopers,  and  capture  them  if  he  could. 
The  fight  was  ended  practically;  and  it  had  been 
little  better  than  a  slaughter,  all  owing  to  the 
reckless  course  of  Captain  Dingfield. 


THE   CONFUSION   OF   THE   DAY   EXPLAINED      209 


CHAPTER   XVII 

THE  CONFUSION  OF  THE  DAY  EXPLAINED 

A  SINGLE  volley  from  each  company  of  the 
Riverlawn  Cavalry  proved  to  be  enough  to  settle 
the  affairs  of  the  enemy  in  front.  Major  Lyon 
looked  about  him  in  the  road,  and  he  was  sur- 
prised to  find  but  eight  forms  lying  on  the  ground. 
How  so  many  bullets  could  have  been  fired  into 
fifty  men  with  no  greater  loss  of  life  seemed 
strange  to  him;  but  he  was  just  beginning  to 
obtain  his  experience.  The  result  did  not  prove 
that  only  that  number  had  been  hit ;  for  the  num- 
ber lying  in  the  road  did  not  fully  indicate  the 
enemy's  loss. 

Captain  Gordon  began  a  vigorous  pursuit  of  the 
retreating  enemy ;  but  they  had  the  start  of  him 
by  at  least  a  mile,  for  he  had  met  with  some 
obstructions  in  reaching  the  road  after  his  men 
had  delivered  their  fire.  Both  the  pursuers  and 
the  pursued  disappeared  behind  the  hill,  and  there 


210  IN   THE    SADDLE 

was  nothing  more  that  the  second  company  could 
do.  The  major  had  looked  over  those  left  upon 
the  field,  to  ascertain  if  the  captain  was  among 
them ;  but  he  was  not. 

"  Captain  Dingfield  was  a  bold  and  reckless 
officer ;  and,  as  he  rode  at  the  head  of  his  troop,  I 
wonder  that  he  is  not  lying  here  with  the  others 
who  dropped  from  their  horses,"  said  Major  Lyon, 
as  he  surveyed  what  had  not  yet  ceased  to  be  a 
sad  sight. 

"He  was  exceedingly  fortunate  to  escape,  though 
he  may  have  carried  off  with  him  half-a-dozen  bul- 
lets in  his  body,"  replied  Captain  Truman. 

"  Either  he  had  no  idea  of  how  many  men  we 
have,  or  he  intended  to  make  only  a  demonstra- 
tion against  us,  to  enable  the  force  he  had  sent 
to  the  bridge  to  finish  their  work,"  added  the 
major.  "  The  explosion  seems  to  have  been  the 
signal  for  him  to  advance ;  and  I  am  inclined  to 
believe  he  intended  only  to  prevent  me  from 
using  my  force  to  interfere  with  the  work  of  those 
he  had  sent  for  the  destruction  of  the  bridge. 
Fortunately  that  matter  had  been  attended  to, 
and  Belthorpe  has  men  enough  to  overcome  that 
sent  by  the  hill  road." 


THE   CONFUSION   OF   THE  DAY   EXPLAINED      211 

"  I  should  say  that  Dingfield  had  been  thor- 
ouglily  and  completel}'  routed,"  replied  Captain 
Truman  with  more  enthusiasm  than  the  major 
could  feel ;  for  the  latter  realized  that  the  bridge 
had  narrowly  escaped  destruction  in  the  very  face 
of  his  squadron,  and  under  their  very  eyes. 

"I  don't  know  yet,"  he  returned.  "We  can 
tell  better  about  that  when  we  have  ascertained 
the  condition  of  the  bridge." 

"  We  can  still  see  it,  and  it  does  not  appear  to 
have  suffered  any  very  serious  injury." 

"  March  your  company  back  to  the  cross-roads, 
Captain  Truman.  We  shall  soon  learn  what  more 
we  have  to  do.  The  bridge  does  not  appear  to 
have  suffered  much,  as  you  suggest,"  added  the 
commander  as  he  rode  down  the  hill,  with  Artie 
at  his  side. 

"  What  do  you  suppose  has  become  of  Deck, 
father?"  asked  the  j^oung  man;  and  there  was  a 
look  of  great  anxiety  on  his  face. 

"I  don't  know,  and  I  cannot  conjecture,"  re- 
plied the  father  with  a  blank  look  at  the  inquirer. 
"  I  saw  him  lower  the  flag  as  I  had  ordered  him 
to  do.  It  did  not  occur  to  me  that  there  could  be 
any  movement  in  progress  there  then.     For  the 


212  IN   THE    SADDLE 

next  hour  or  more  I  liad  enough  to  think  of  near 
the  cross-roads,  and  I  don't  know  that  I  looked 
at  the  bridge  once  in  that  time ;  certainly  not 
with  the  expectation  of  seeing  anything  there." 

"I  can't  understand  it  at  all,  father,"  added 
Artie ;  and  he  looked  as  though  the  tears  might 
easily  come  into  his  eyes,  for  they  had  been  to- 
gether from  their  childhood,  and  had  always  been 
greatly  devoted  to  each  other. 

They  had  never  been  known  to  quarrel  with 
each  other,  though  each  was  rather  tenacious  of 
his  own  opinion.  Deck  was  not  his  own  brother, 
only  his  cousin,  though  the  fraternal  feeling  had 
always  been  as  warm  and  earnest  as  though  they 
had  been  born  of  the  same  father  and  motlier. 
Since  the  troubles  in  the  vicinity  of  Riverlawn 
had  begun,  and  they  had  served  side  by  side  in 
the  fights  with  the  ruffians,  as  well  as  in  drilling 
together  for  three  months,  the  tie  that  united 
them  had  become  even  more  intimate.  Artie  was 
fearfully  anxious  in  regard  to  the  fate  of  his 
brother;  and  his  father  was  not  less  so,  though 
he  was  more  successful  in  concealing  his  feeling. 

"I  cannot  understand  it  any  better  than  you 
can,"  replied  the  major.     "  If  I  had  thought  of 


THE   CONFUSION   OF   THE   DAY   EXPLAINED      213 

his  safety  at  all,  I  should  have  considered  him  as 
more  secure  on  the  bridge  than  at  the  cross-roads, 
where  we  were  liable  to  confront  the  enemy  at 
any  moment.  Dexter  had  been  so  forward  in  the 
action  on  the  east  road,  that  I  felt  rather  relieved 
to  think  that  he  was  in  a  safe  place.  I  wished 
hiiii  to  do  his  duty  faithfully ;  but  he  rode  into  the 
front  rank  of  the  company,  being  a  volunteer,  and 
threw  himself,  horse  and  all,  upon  the  lieutenant 
in  command  of  the  enemy." 

"  I  saw  him  do  that  myself,  though  Deck  says 
Ceph  tried  to  leap  over  the  officer's  horse  of  his 
own  accord,"  added  Artie.  "  There  must  have 
been  some  of  the  enemy's  men  on  the  bridge  when 
we  supposed  there  was  no  one  there." 

"  For  my  part,  I  did  not  suppose  anything  at  all 
about  it,  as  I  have  said  before  ;  but  I  am  confident 
now  there  must  have  been  some  of  the  Texans 
there,  or  men  in  their  employ,"  continued  the 
major.  "  It  appears  that  the  farther  abutment  of 
the  bridge  had  been  mined,  though  the  work  must 
have  been  done  at  the  top.  It  seems  to  have  been 
badly  done,  as  though  the  workmen  were  laboring 
under  great  disadvantages." 

The  father  and  son  could  explain  nothing;  for 


214  IN    THE    SADDLE 

they  had  nothing  to  base  their  opinions  on,  the 
explosion  and  the  smoke  of  the  fires  being  all  the 
facts  in  their  possession.  Life  Knox  and  his 
scouts  had  doubtless  obtained  some  information  by 
this  time  which  would  enable  them  to  conjecture 
the  fate  of  poor  Deck.  They  continued  on  their 
way,  with  the  second  company  just  behind  them. 
There  was  nothing  to  be  done,  unless  it  was  to 
send  a  re-enforcement  to  Lieutenant  Belthorpe, 
though  it  was  doubtful  if  he  had  encountered 
the  enemy. 

As  soon  as  Major  Lyon  and  Artie  reached  the 
hospital  they  heard  a  vigorous  yell,  which  seemed 
to  come  from  the  guards  in  charge  of  the  camp. 
It  was  immediately  followed  by  a  hearty  cheer 
from  the  second  com23any.  Both  father  and  son 
looked  about  them  without  being  able  to  see  any- 
thing to  call  forth  these  cheers. 

"Up  goes  the  flag,  father!  "  shouted  Artie,  who 
had  directed  his  gaze  where  others  were  looking, 
and  saw  that  the  American  flag  had  just  been 
hoisted  on  the  pole  upon  the  bridge. 

"  Always  a  welcome  sight,  but  more  so  now 
than  usual,"  added  the  major,  as  he  raised  his 
field-glass  and  directed  it  to  the  flagstaff.     "  I  see 


THE   CONFUSION   OF   THE   DAY  EXPLAINED      215 

the  tall  form  of  Sergeant  Knox  at  the  halyards, 
and  he  has  done  this  thing.  I  pray  that  it  may  be 
the  herald  of  good  news  in  regard  to  Dexter." 

"  Do  you  suppose  the  flag  means  that  he  has 
found  Deck,  father?"  asked  Artie,  as  a  flood  of 
hope  flashed  through  his  mind. 

"  It  is  impossible  to  tell  what  it  means ;  but  the 
sergeant  seems  to  be  climbing  down  the  wall,  and 
he  will  soon  be  here,"  replied  the  major. 

Artie  started  his  horse,  with  the  evident  inten- 
tion of  going  to  the  bridge ;  but  the  major  called 
him  back,  and  directed  him  to  wait  where  he  was 
till  Knox  joined  them. 

"  I  may  want  you  at  any  moment,"  said  the 
father.  "  I  have  been  using  you  and  Dexter  as 
my  orderlies,  and  I  appoint  you  to  that  position 
now." 

"  Is  there  any  news  from  up  above.  Major 
Lyon  ?  "  asked  the  wounded  lieutenant,  who  had 
walked  to  the  spot  where  the  commander  stopped 
liis  horse.  "  I  heard  a  volle}^  a  little  while  ago  ; 
has  there  been  another  engagement?" 

"A  very  brief  one,"  replied  the  major.  "It 
was  very  soon  decided,  for  Captain  Dingfield 
retreated  as  soon  as  he  had  received  our  fire." 


216  IN   THE   SADDLE 

"  Captain  Dingfield  !  "  exclaimed  the  wounded 
lieutenant ;'  "  that  is  not  at  all  like  him." 

"  It  was  the  only  thing  he  could  do.  He  left 
eight  of  his  men  in  tlie  road,  ^vhere  they  dropped 
from  their  horses ;  and  of  course  he  led  away  many 
others  with  bullets  in  their  bodies.  I  should  say 
that  Captain  Dingfield  had  been  a  very  reckless 
commander,  and  I  was  almost  sure  I  should  find 
his  body  among  the  killed ;  but  it  was  not  there, 
and  I  suppose  he  is  still  carrying  it  with  him." 

"  We  did  not  expect  much  of  any  difficulty  in 
this  expedition,  and  we  were  satisfied  that  we 
could  ride  over  the  Home  Guards  we  heard  had 
been  sent  here  to  protect  the  bridges,"  replied 
Lieutenant  Makepeace  rather  languidly,  for  he 
had  been  severely  wounded. 

"  I  have  a  squadron  of  United  States  cavalry 
under  my  command,"  said  the  major  proudly. 

"  So  I  discovered  this  forenoon  ;  not  that  you 
had  a  squadron  here,  but  that  the  troopers  were 
regular  cavalrymen;  and  I  must  saj  that  no  men 
ever  fought  better,  for  my  command  were  beaten 
and  driven  off  in  less  time  than  it  takes  to  tell  of 
it,"  added  the  prisoner  with  an  attempt  to  smile. 
"But  two    full    companies  were    sent   over  here, 


THE   CONFUSION   OF   THE   DAY   EXPLAINED      217 

though  I  have  not  yet  been  able  to  find  the 
other." 

"  But  the  other  compan}^  is  here,"  said  Major 
Lyon. 

"  Where  ?  " 

"  Tliere  they  are,  answered  the  commander, 
pointing  to  the  camp.  "  They  are  prisoners  of 
war  now." 

"  That  accounts  for  it." 

"  That  company  were  Home  Guards  in  the  first 
of  it,  but  now  they  have  become  regular  Con- 
federate soldiers." 

"  They  have  made  a  mess  of  this  expedition." 

"  I  suppose  you  have  a  force  over  at  the  north 
end  of  the  railroad  bridge,  lieutenant,"  said  the 
major  very  quietly,  and  not  expecting  the  prisoner 
would  answer  the  question. 

"  If  there  is,  it  has  been  sent  there  since  I  was 
wounded.  Everything  has  worked  very  differ- 
ently from  what  we  expected ;  for  Captain  Ding- 
field  talked  the  whole  thing  over  with  me.  We 
have  fought  the  battle,  and  lost  it.  I  suppose 
there  is  no  harm  in  comparing  notes  after  the 
affair  is  finished." 

"I  should  think  not;  for  I  don't  believe  you 


218  IN   THE   SADDLE 

can  give  me  any  information  that  will  be  useful 
to  me  now,"  replied  the  major. 

"We  ascertained  that  your  company  was  camped 
near  that  plantation ;  and  we  had  no  idea  that  you 
had  more  than  one.  We  believed  the  company 
sent  from  Bowling  Green,  which  we  have  not 
seen  yet,  for  we  have  not  been  there,  was  posted 
somewhere  on  what  is  called  the  east  road.  Ding- 
field's  plan  was  to  march  down  by  the  south  road, 
use  up  your  company  near  the  plantation,  and 
then  effect  a  junction  with  the  infantry  company 
for  the  destruction  of  the  bridge,  which  is  said  to 
be  a  matter  of  great  importance  to  the  South." 

"  I  should  say  that  it  was  ;  and  my  orders  came 
from  the  general  in  command  to  prevent  it,"  in- 
terposed the  major. 

"I  was  sent  by  Captain  Dingfield  round  by 
the  hill  road,  to  attack  you  in  the  rear  while  he 
took  you  in  front.  As  I  said,  we  had  no  suspicion 
that  you  had  another  company  of  cavahy  here. 
One  of  my  scouts  was  shot,  and  is  in  this  hospital 
with  me.  The  other  came  back  to  me.  But  he 
had  seen  only  two  troopers  ;  and  I  decided  to 
push  on,  especially  as  I  had  four  bridge-builders 
with  me." 


THE   CONFUSION   OF   THE   DAY   EXPLAINED      219 

"  Four  bridge-builders !  "  exclaimed  the  major. 
"  And  what  became  of  them  ?  " 

"  I  was  ordered  to  send  them  by  the  nearest 
road  to  the  bridge ;  and  I  was  told,  when  I  in- 
quired on  the  way,  that  the  hill  road  was  the 
shortest  cut  to  it.  They  had  a  six-mule  wagon 
with  them,  containing  their  tools,  tents,  blasting- 
powder,  and  provisions.  I  came  down  the  east 
road  with  my  force,  while  they  continued  on  their 
way  by  the  hill  road.  My  force  was  defeated  as 
we  approached  the  cross-roads,  where  I  was  to 
turn  up." 

"  I  waited  all  the  forenoon  and  some  of  the 
afternoon  for  Captain  Dingfield  to  attack  me," 
said  the  major. 

"  The  bridgemen  made  us  late  in  starting,  and 
the  mules  delayed  us  for  hours  on  the  road.  Our 
surprise  was  in  finding  a  whole  company  waiting 
for  us  at  the  cross-roads,  where  we  had  anticipated 
no  obstacle." 

The  arrival  of  Knox  prevented  the  major  from 
obtaining  any  further  information  from  the  obli- 
ging lieutenant;  but  later  in  the  day  he  exjjlained 
his  own  operations  to  him.  The  capture  of  Caj)- 
tain   Titus's  company  early  in  the   morning,  and 


220  IN   THE   SADDLE 

the  superior  force  of  the  loyal  troops,  had  saved 
the  bridge,  though  there  was  still  au  euemy  to 
fight  by  the  force  of  Lieutenaut  Belthorpe. 

The  account  of  the  bridge-builders  threw  some 
light  on  the  disappearance  of  Deck  hjon.  It  was 
evident  that  they  had  attempted  to  destroy  the 
bridge  ;  but  when  Knox  reported  to  the  major,  he 
was  compelled  to  acknowledge  that  he  had  been 
unable  to  find  him,  or  to  obtain  any  intelligence 
of  him.  But  Deck  had  had  a  lively  experience, 
and  it  becomes  necessary  to  return  to  him  while 
engaged  in  his  solitary  vigil  at  the  foot  of  the 
flaofstaff. 


INTRODUCING  MR.  BROWN  KIPPS  221 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

INTRODUCING   MR.   BROWN   KIPPS 

Deck  Lyon  did  not  like  the  service  to  which 
he  had  been  assigned  on  the  bridge.  The  impor- 
tance of  the  dut}^,  as  laid  down  to  him  by  his 
father,  did  not  make  the  situation  any  pleasanter. 

Though  his  conscience  approved  his  conduct  in 
taking  the  place  without  attempting  to  avoid  the 
service,  it  would  have  suited  him  better  to  remain 
in  the  ranks,  and  have  a  part  in  the  action  which 
was  soon  to  take  place,  as  officers  and  privates  all 
believed. 

He  had  nothing  to  do  after  he  had  hauled  down 
the  flag,  —  at  least,  nothing  but  watch  his  father, 
whose  plumed  hat  was  the  only  one  of  the  kind 
on  the  field;  and  he  had  no  difficulty  in  keeping 
it  in  sight  all  the  time.  He  was  not  obliged  to 
keep  his  eyes  fixed  on  him  every  moment,  for  he 
knew  when  to  expect  the  signal  to  hoist  the  flag ; 
and  it  would  not  be  given  till  the  first  company 


222  IN   THE   SADDLE 

had  engaged  the  enemy  somewhere  on  the  south 
road,  between  the  top  of  the  hill  and  the  cross- 
roads. 

He  was  all  alone,  and  he  could  speak  to  no  one. 
He  had  rolled  up  the  flag  with  the  halyards  still 
attached  to  it,  and  placed  it  at  the  foot  of  the 
pole.  He  had  been  sitting  on  his  horse  all  day, 
and  for  a  time  he  amused  himself  in  walking  up 
and  down  the  bridge.  It  did  not  occur  to  him 
that  there  was  a  human  being  anywhere  near  him 
except  those  who  were  in  the  camp  below,  and 
they  were  some  distance  from  him.  He  looked  at 
the  prisoners,  and  the  cavalrymen  who  were  keep- 
ing guard  over  them.  They  were  not  an  interest- 
ing sight  to  him,  for  the  former  consisted  mostly 
of  the  ruffians  whom  he  had  fought  in  the  field 
and  in  the  schoolhouse. 

"  Nothing  to  do,  and  nobody  to  help  me,"  said 
Deck  to  himself,  as  he  seated  himself  at  the  foot 
of  the  flagstaff,  with  his  legs  dangling  over  the 
bank  of  the  creek  below.  The  pole  had  been  set 
up  where  it  was  most  convenient  to  fasten  it,  and 
the  place  was  about  ten  feet  from  the  abutment. 
The  bridge  spanned  not  only  the  stream  of  water, 
but  the  valley  through  which  it  flowed. 


INTRODUCING    ME.  BIIOWN    KIPPS  223 

This  valley  was  crossed  by  tlie  embankment  to 
within  forty  feet  of  the  creek ;  and  the  sonth  road 
passed  under  the  bridge,  close  to  the  abutment. 
The  high  fence,  or  side  of  the  slianty  that  had 
stood  there,  was  on  the  solid  ground,  which  had 
been  filled  in,  and  Deck  was  hardly  more  than  a 
rod  from  it.  He  had  walked  about  here,  and 
he  concluded  that  some  kind  of  a  building  had 
stood  there  ;  for  he  found  a  temporary  work- 
bench, which  had  doubtless  been  used  by  th& 
bridge-builders. 

The  signalman  at  the  flagstaff  was  fully  armed, 
as  when  he  dismounted  ;  and  when  he  seated  him- 
self on  the  plank  of  the  bridge,  his  sabre  had 
nearl}'  tripped  him  over  the  side  of  it  to  tlie 
ground  below ;  but  he  was  very  active,  and  he 
saved  himself.  In  this  position  he  observed  the 
occupation  of  the  prisoners,  who  appeared  to  have 
no  interest  whatever  in  the  impending  fight  at  the 
cross-roads.  Some  of  them  were  playing  cards, 
to  which  they  were  more  accustomed  than  to  the 
routine  of  the  soldier;  some  were  asleep;  and  a 
few  were  mending  their  ragged  garments. 

They  were  not  an  interesting  sight  to  the 
watcher   on    the    bridge.     Amonof    them    was    his 


224  IN    THE    S-U^DLE 

Uncle  Titus,  who  sat  on  a  log  in  front  of  his 
tent.  He  wore  a  disgusted  look,  perhaj>s  because 
he  was  deprived  of  his  usual  whiskey  rations;  for 
INIajor  Lyon  i-efused  to  allow  liquor  to  Ik"  served 
to  any  prisoner.  He  had  chosen  for  himself,  and 
had  joined  the  Confederate  army.  He  consid- 
ered himself  a  sort  of  family  martyr,  because  his 
brother  had  chosen  to  give  his  plantation  to  Noah 
instead  of  to  him:  and  this  feelincj  larsfelv  influ- 
enced  him  in  his  political  choice. 

Deck  had  only  one  wish,  as  he  sat  with  his  legs 
over  the  side  of  the  bridge,  and  that  was  that  the 
enemy  would  speedily  appear  on  the  south  road  ; 
for  then  his  father  woidd  give  liira  the  signal  to 
lioist  the  flag.  "When  he  had  done  that  his  mis- 
sion would  be  ended,  and  he  could  hi\sten  back  to 
his  place  in  tlie  ranks,  in  season,  he  hoped,  to  take 
part  in  the  action.  The  more  imjxitient  he  be- 
came, the  more  vigilant  was  his  scrutiny  of  the 
plumed  head  of  his  father. 

Several  times  he  thought,  when  any  movement 
was  made  by  the  soldiei-s,  that  the  time  had 
come.  The  minutes  seemed  to  be  longer  to  him 
than  any  he  had  ever  known  before.  He  looked 
at  his  watch,  after  he  had  refrained  from  doing  so 


INTRODUCING    MR.   BROWN   KIPPS  225 

several  times  by  the  thought  of  his  own  impa- 
tience, and  he  found  he  had  been  on  tlie  bridge 
only  half  an  hour ;  though  it  seemed  to  liim 
that  he  had  been  there  four  times  as  long  as 
that.  But  just  at  that  moment,  and  before  lie 
had  restored  the  watch  to  his  pocket,  he  heard 
sounds  which  turned  his  attention  in  another  di- 
rection. 

He  heard  footsteps  near  liim.  No  one  but  him- 
self had  been  sent  to  the  bridge,  and  the  sound 
gave  him  a  decided  sensation.  They  came  from 
the  north  end  of  the  bridge ;  and  the  liigli  fence 
prevented  him  from  seeing  the  person  whose 
tramp  he  heard.  He  was  not  alarmed;  and  he 
listened  to  the  footsteps,  waiting  for  the  indi- 
vidual to  come  out  from  behind  the  obstruction. 
Then  the  steps  were  accompanied  by  the  whis- 
tling of  a  tune,  as  thougli  the  person  was  an 
idler,  who  had  no  other  means  of  employing  his 
time. 

Deck  Lyon  was  not  a  musician,  though  he 
had  done  some  singing  before  his  voice  changed. 
The  whistling^  bearan  to  have  an  interest  to  him, 
and  he  listened  with  all  his  might.  The  person 
was   either  a  Union  man  or  a   Secessionist ;  and 


226  IN   THE   SADDLE 

the  young  cavalryman  thought  the  air  he  selected 
must  give  him  some  information  on  this  deli- 
cate point.  If  he  whistled  "  Dixie,"  either  from 
choice  or  from  the  force  of  habit,  it  would  not 
be  difficult  to  determine  on  which  side  he  had 
cast  his  political  lot. 

On  the  other  hand,  if  he  piped  "  The  Star 
Spangled  Banner,"  "Hail,  Columbia!"  or  "John 
Brown's  Body,"  Deck  thought  he  should  be  more 
rejoiced  to  meet  him  at  this  particular  moment. 
Possibly  the  whistler  had  not  kept  up  with  the 
times  in  his  musical  education,  for  lie  piped  none 
of  the  airs  named ;  but  presently  the  signalman 
recognized  the  notes  of  "  Yankee  Doodle,"  which 
answered  his  purpose  even  better  than  any  of 
the  melodies  named.  Secessionists  had  no  taste 
for  this  ancient  air  at  just  this  time. 

The  man  appeared  to  have  stopped  behind  the 
high  fence,  and  did  not  immediately  reward  the 
expectant  waiter  with  a  sight  of  his  person.  He 
heard  some  blows  with  an  axe  or  heavy  hammer 
upon  the  planks  underfoot;  then  he  resumed  his 
whistlinsf,  which  became  more  vigorous  than  artis- 
tic.  It  was  evident  even  to  Deck  that  the  per- 
former had   not  been   trained  in   the   art  he  was 


INTRODUCING    MR.  BROWN    KIPPS  227 

practising,  but  he  seemed  to  be  plentifully 
supplied  with  wind,  and  he  had  just  doubled 
the  quantity  of  sound  he  produced ;  and  the 
melody  intended  was  unmistakably  "  Yankee 
Doodle,"  and  this  was  the  important  point  to 
the   listener. 

Still,  the  whistler  did  not  show  himself;  though 
he  was  hardly  more  than  forty  feet  distant  from 
his  audience,  and  seemed  to  be  unconscious  that 
he  had  a  listener.  Deck  wanted  to  see  that  man, 
but  he  persistently  kept  his  body  corporate  be- 
hind the  obstruction  to  his  view.  Arranging 
his  sabre,  so  that  it  should  not  trip  him  up  and 
tumble  him  off  the  bridge,  he  sprang  lightly  to 
his  feet.  He  stepped  back  a  couple  of  paces, 
and  then  obtained  a  full  view  of  the  piper,  who 
certainly  was  not  skilful  enough  to  have  "  played 
before  Moses." 

He  did  not  wear  a  uniform,  and  therefore  he 
did  not  belong  to  the  Texan  Rangers  ;  for  Deck 
had  fought  them,  and  knew  how  they  were 
clothed.  This  struck  him  as  an  important  point ; 
for  he  had  made  sure  before  he  rose  from  his 
seat  that  his  carbine,  slung  at  his  back,  was 
in  condition  for  instant  service.     His  regulation 


228  IN    THE    SADDLE 

pistols  were  in  the  holsters  on  his  horse ;  but 
he  had  supplied  himself  with  a  small  revolvei 
at  Fort  Bedford,  for  there  was  a  tendency  with 
fresh  recruits  to  overload  themselves  with  wea- 
pons on  entering  active  service,  and  thousands 
of  dollars  worth  of  such  were  thrown  away 
when  they  became  a  burden. 

The  stranger  was  dressed  like  a  mechanic ;  and 
he  seemed  to  be  examining  the  planking  of  the 
bridge,  which  is  not  usually  a  matter  of  vital 
importance  in  such  a  structure  for  railroad  pur- 
poses. The  man  stopped  whistling,  and  began 
to  use  a  middling-sized  sledge-hammer,  direct- 
ing his  blows  at  the  heads  of  the  spikes  under 
his  feet.  Then  he  dropped  the  hammer,  and 
picked  up  an  adze,  with  which  he  trimmed  off 
the  projecting  edge  of  a  plank.  Deck  thought 
this  was  very  strange  work  for  a  man  to  be 
doing  at  such  a  time,  and  in  such  a  place. 

But  the  mechanic  was  whistling  a  Union  air; 
and  this  fact  seemed  to  make  it  all  right,  and 
prevented  him  from  having  a  suspicion  that  all 
was  not  right  in  the  presence  of  the  man  on 
the  bridge.  The  railroad  in  Kentucky  was  a 
loyal   institution,  as    it  was   a   disloj-al   one   far- 


INTRODUCmG   MR.   BROWN   KIPPS  229 

ther  South.  Deck  therefore  came  to  the  conclu- 
sion that  he  was  an  employee  of  the  company. 
He  decided  to  interview  the  stranger,  and  ascer- 
tain more  precisely  who  and  what  he  was. 

In  matters  of  military  duty  Deck  was  a  close 
constructionist;  and  the  first  question  he  asked 
himself  was  whether  or  not  he  ought  to  leave 
his  post,  even  to  go  a  distance  of  forty  feet. 
His  sole  occupation  till  he  received  tlie  sio-nal 
to  hoist  the  flag,  was  to  watch  for  it;  and  he 
kept  his  father'.s  plumed  hat  in  sight  all  the 
time.  But  he  could  see  the  handkerchief  when 
it  was  waved  as  well  from  beliind  the  fence  as 
at  the  flagstaff ;  or,  at  most,  he  had  only  to  step 
back  a  few  paces  to  enable  him  to  command  a 
full  view  of  the  expected  battle-ground,  and  of 
the  hill  behind  which  Captain  Truman  was  posted 
with  his  command. 

He  did  not  for  an  instant  lose  sight  of  his  sole 
duty;  but  he  walked  a  few  paces  at  a  time  towards 
the  fence,  and  then  looked  back,  to  make  sure 
that  he  could  see  the  plume  of  the  major.  As  it 
was  in  sight  all  the  time,  he  continued  to  advance 
very  slowly.  When  he  reached  the  end  of  the 
fence  the  centre  of  his  watch  was  still  to  be  seen, 


230  IN   THE   SADDLE 

and  nothing  seemed  to  be  in  progress  in  any  of 
the  roads  visible  from  his  position. 

Just  at  the  moment  when  he  was  almost  within 
speaking  distance  of  the  mechanic,  who  had  ceased 
to  whistle,  the  latter  picked  up  his  tools  and 
moved  to  the  other  end  of  the  fence,  where  he 
began  to  hammer  the  spikes  again.  The  man  ap- 
peared to  take  no  notice  of  hini,  or  even  to  be 
aware  of  his  presence.  Assured  that  he  could  see 
the  skirmishers  who  had  been  sent  beyond  the 
hill  if  tliey  were  driven  in,  he  continued  to  ad- 
vance still  farther,  though  he  went  to  the  middle 
of  the  bridge,  where  the  fence  did  not  obstruct  his 
view. 

Deck  wanted  to  know  more  about  the  man  with 
the  sledge  and  the  adze.  The  flag  was  to  be 
hoisted  as  a  signal  for  the  second  company  to 
attack  the  enemy  in  tlie  flank  or  rear,  while  the 
first  eng-aofed  them  in  front.  The  fight  must 
begin  before  the  signal  could  be  required,  and  the 
signalman  would  have  abundant  notice  when  the 
firing  began  that  his  services  would  soon  be  re- 
quired. The  fence  was  less  than  a  hundred  feet 
in  length,  and  lie  had  not  far  to  go  to  confront 
the  mechanic. 


INTRODUCING    MR.   BROWN    KIPPS  231 

Keeping  the  cross-roads  in  view  till  the  fence 
shut  it  out,  he  made  a  quick  movement  to  the 
immediate  vicinity  of  the  workman,  who  was 
hammering  away  with  the  sledge  with  all  his 
might.  He  made  so  much  noise  that  he  could 
not  hear  the  steps  of  the  soldier. 

"  What  are  you  doing  here  ?  "  shouted  Deck. 

The  mechanic  took  no  notice  of  him,  and  did 
not  seem  to  have  heard  him.  He  repeated  his 
inquiry,  this  time  a  great  deal  louder  than  be- 
fore. The  man  stopped  in  his  work,  and  looked 
at  him  with  apparent  astonishment,  as  though 
he  had  discovered  his  presence  for  the  first 
time. 

"  I  am  fixing  the  bridge,  don't  you  see  ?  "  re- 
plied the  workman,  as  though  he  deemed  it  a 
foolish  question.     "  What  are  you  doing  here  ?  " 

"  I  am  on  duty  on  the  bridge,"  replied  Deck. 

But  he  could  not  see  the  soldiers  near  the  cross- 
roads, where  his  father  had  been  most  of  the  time, 
and  his  conscience  smote  him  as  though  he  had 
stolen  the  brood  in  a  chicken-coop.  He  did  not 
wait  to  say  any  more,  but  he  ran  with  all  his 
speed  till  he  reached  a  point  where  he  could  see 
the  plume  of  the  commander  of  the  squadron. 


232  IN   THE   SADDLE 

"  What's  the  matter  ?  What  you  runnin'  off 
fur  ?  "  shouted  the  mechanic.  "  You  needn't  run  ; 
I  won't  hurt  you." 

Deck  thought  this  was  rather  cool  from  a  man 
apparently  unarmed,  to  one  with  a  carbine  slung 
on  his  back,  and  a  sabre  at  his  side  ;  but  he  judged 
that  the  fellow  aspired  to  be  a  humorist,  for  he 
looked  as  good-natured  as  though  he  had  just 
perpetrated  a  first-class  witticism.  But  the  caval- 
ryman did  not  halt  till  lie  reached  the  end  of  the 
fence,  where  he  made  a  careful  survey  on  the 
field  of  the  expected  combat.  He  was  too  busy 
just  then  to  notice  the  man. 

"  What  is  the  matter,  Mr. ?  I  reckon  I  don't 

know  your  name,"  said  the  man  ;  and  the  sound 
indicated  that  he  had  followed  the  other  nearly 
to  the  end  of  the  fence. 

"  They  call  me  Deck,  those  who  know  me 
best,"  replied  the  trooper,  willing  to  humor  the 
mechanic.     "  Now,  who  are  you?" 

"  My  name  is  Brown  Kipps ;  but  most  folks 
don^t  take  the  trouble  to  call  me  anything  but 
Kipps,  Mr.  Deck." 

"  My  front  name  is  Dexter ;  Deck  for  short," 
added  the  soldier. 


INTRODUCING   MPw  BROWN   KIPPS  233 

"What  is  your  back  name  ?" 

"Lyon." 

"  You  look  like  a  lion,"  added  Kipps.  "  Won't 
you  take  a  seat  on  this  old  bench,  and  let  us  talk 
it  over?" 

Deck  declined  the  invitation. 


234  IN   THE   SADDLE 


CHAPTER   XIX 

THE   CONSPIRACY   ON   THE   BRIDGE 

KiPPS  appeared  to  be  a  good-natured  man,  and 
Deck  declined  to  take  a  seat  on  the  bench  with 
him  simply  because  it  would  place  him  where  he 
could  not  see  the  signal  when  his  father  made  it. 
The  man  did  not  seem  to  be  so  intent  upon  driv- 
ing in  the  heads  of  the  spikes  in  the  planks  as 
lie  had  been,  and  perhaps  he  thought  he  had 
worked  hard  enough  to  entitle  him  to  a  rest. 

"  Jest  come  and  take  a  seat  here,  Deck  Lyons ; 
you  look  all  worn  out,  and  you  need  a  little  rest," 
said  Kipps,  as  Deck  placed  himself  at  the  end  of 
the  fence. 

"  I'm  not  all  worn  out,  and  I  think  I  can  stand 
it  to  keep  on  my  feet  a  while  longer,"  replied  the 
signalman. 

"Well,  you  must  git  tired  luggin'  them  things 
round  all  day,"  persisted  the  mechanic. 

"  What  things  ?  " 


THE   CONSPIRACY    ON   THE   BRIDGE  235 

"  Why,  that  shooter  on  your  back,  and  that 
broadsword  a-danglin'  agin  your  shins." 

"  They  are  not  very  lieavy,  and  not  so  much 
of  a  load  as  your  sledge-hammer  and  adze." 

"  I'm  used  to  kerryin'  them  ;  but  I'll  bet  a  day's 
pay  that  gun  on  your  back  is  heavier'n  my  ham- 
mer." 

"  I  don't  bet,  but  my  carbine  is  lighter  than 
your  sledge,"  replied  Deck  ;  and  it  seemed  to  him 
as  though  the  workman  was  trying  to  accomplish 
some  object,  though  he  could  not  make  out  what 
it  was.  "  Besides,  I  don't  have  to  lug  my  arms 
without  any  help,  for  I  am  generally  on  horse- 
back." 

"  Have  you  seen  Tom  Lobkill  about  here  in  your 
travels  on  this  bridge  ? "  asked  Kipps,  suddenly 
changing  the  subject  of  the  conversation. 

"  I  don't  happen  to  know  Tom  Lobkill,  and  I 
don't  know  whether  I  have  seen  him  or  not." 

••'  Don't  you  know  Tom  Lobkill  ?  I  thought 
every  man  in  Tennessee  knew  Tom." 

"  That  may  be ;  but  as  I  never  put  foot  in  Ten- 
nessee yet,  I  never  happened  to  meet  him,"  replied 
Deck. 

"  I  reckon  this  is  Kentucky,''  added  Kipps,  with 


236  ■  IN   THE   SADDLE 

a  mild  horse-laugh.  "  You  see,  we  fellers  that 
work  on  the  railroad  don't  allers  mind  jest  what 
State  we're  in,  for  we  keep  shiftin'  from  one  to 
another  all  the  time." 

"But  I  think  you  don't  have  to  do  much  shift- 
ing between  Kentucky  and  Tennessee  at  the  pres- 
ent time,"  suggested  Deck. 

"  Not  as  much  as  we  did  a  while  ago.  If  you 
hain't  seen  Tom  Lobkill,  did  you  come  across 
Lank  Rablan  in  your  travels  on  the  road?  "  asked 
Kipps,  as  he  rose  from  his  seat,  and  walked  to 
the  end  of  the  fence,  though  he  still  remained 
behind  it. 

"  I  don't  know  him  any  better  than  I  do  the 
other  fellow,  and  I  haven't  seen  him.  You  seem 
to  have  a  good  many  friends  about  here.  Brown 
Kipps." 

"Not  a  great  crowd;  there  ain't  but  four  on  us, 
and  t'other  is  Sykes  Wimble.  I  s'pose  you  hain't 
seen  nothin'  o'  him,  nuther  ?  " 

"I  don't  know  him,"  replied  Deck,  more  curious 
yet  to  know  Avhat  the  man  was  driving  at.  "  What 
are  you  four  doing  about  here  ?  " 

"We  are  on  the  railroad." 

"  So  I  supposed ;  and  I  suppose  one  of  you  is 


THE   CONSPIRACY   ON   THE   BRIDGE  237 

the  president  of  the  company,  and  perhaps  the 
other  three  are  the  vice-presidents,"  said  the  cav- 
alryman, quite  as  good-natured  as  his  companion. 

"  Well,  no,  not  exactly ;  I  ought  to  be  tlie 
president  of  the  company,  but  I  ain't,"  answered 
Mr.  Kipps.  "If  I  was,  some  of  us  bridgemen 
would  get  better  pay,  and  a  chance  to  sleep  nights 
some  o'  the  time." 

"  Then  you  are  bridgemen ;  and  I  saw  you 
knocking  in  the  heads  of  the  spikes  over  there. 
I  suppose  you  "were  sent  down  here  to  rebuild  this 
bridge  if  the  enemy  destroyed  it." 

"  That's  jest  what  we  are  here  for ;  but  I  don't 
reckon  the  enemy'll  destroy  it  this  time." 

"  I  should  say  not." 

"  But  I  was  lookin'  for  my  gang-mates,  and  I 
don't  see  Avhat's  become  on  'em ; "  and  Kipps 
looked  about  him  as  though  he  really  wished  to 
find  them.  "  I  had  to  go  down  below  to  git  a 
hunk  o'  t'backer  out'n  the  wagon,  and  the  t'other 
three  went  down  this  way;"  and  the  bridgenian 
produced  a  great  twist  of  the  native  weed,  and  bit 
off  enough  to  load  two  pipes.  "  I  reckon  you 
hain't  seen  nothin'  on  'em,  hev  you.  Deck  Lyons? 
I  reckoned  they  went  over  the  creek." 


238  IN    THE    SADDLE 

"I  have  not  seen  an}^  of  them,  and  no  one  has 
crossed  the  bridge  since  I  came  upon  it,"  replied 
Deck. 

"  I  rather  think  I  can  fetch  'em  if  they  are  any- 
where round  here,"  added  Kipps,  as  he  took  a 
whistle  from  his  pocket  and  applied  it  to  his 
lips,  producing  three  short  blasts.  "  All  on  us 
carries  one  o'  these,  because  we  sometimes  get 
scattered  on  the  work." 

The  whistle  seemed  to  be  as  potent  as  that 
of  the  boatswain  on  board  of  a  man-of-war,  for 
one  after  another  three  men  mounted  to  the 
bridge  just  beyond  the  abutment  on  the  farther 
side.  Each  of  them  had  a  pipe  in  his  mouth, 
and  they  came  upon  the  track  as  though  they 
were  in  no  hurry.  They  were  dressed  like  Kipps, 
in  workingmen's  clothes,  and  one  of  them  was 
about  six  feet  and  a  half  high.  All  of  them  had 
axes  in  their  hands,  but  none  of  them  seemed 
to  be  provided  with  firearms. 

"They  weren't  fur  off,  and  they  kept  awful 
still,  or  I  should  have  hearn  them,"  said  Kipps, 
as  they  crossed  the  track  and  placed  themselves 
behind  the  fence. 

Deck  wondered  how  tliey  had  secured  a  place 


THE  CONSPIRACY  ON   THE   BRn)GE  239 

down  the  embankment  without  being  seen  by 
him ;  but  his  attention  had  been  directed  the 
other  way  to  the  position  of  the  squadron.  But 
lie  realized  that  they  could  have  crossed  the  track 
some  distance  farther  up  the  road,  and  walked  down 
from  there  under  the  shadow  of  the  road-bed. 

"  Well,  boys,  I  reckoned  you'd  got  lost,  for  I 
couldn't  find  nothin'  on  you,"  said  Kipps,  as  the 
men  approached  the  end  of  the  fence  at  which 
Deck  stood.  "  What  you  been  doin',  Lank 
Rablan?" 

"  When  you  went  down  to  the  wagon,  we  uns 
dropped  down  the  bank  to  have  a  smoke,  and 
we  got  to  talkin'  about  this  business  round 
here,"  replied  the  tallest  of  the  three,  who  was 
about  as  lofty  in  his  upper  works  as  Life  Knox, 
and  about  as  spare  in  his  filling  up.  "We  con- 
sayted  that  this  bridge  was  go'n'  to  get  burnt  up 
last  night ;  but  it's  all  here  yet,  and  I  reckon  them 
so'xiiers  down  thar's  done  a  big  thing." 

"  We  hain't  got  no  job  on  our  hands  for  to-day," 
said  another  of  them. 

"What  was  it  that  the  nigger  told  you,  Sykes 
Wimple?"  asked  Lank  Rablan,  who  was  the  tall 
fellow. 


240  IN   THE   SADDLE 

"  He  told  me  the  troopers  had  captured  the 
whole  company  sent  here  to  destroy  the  bridge ; 
and  there  they  be  down  there,  guarded  by  the 
horse  soldiers,"  replied  Sykes,  pointing  in  the 
direction  of  the  camp.  "  I  suppose  this  fellow 
is  one  of  them,"  he  added,  pointing  to  Deck. 

"  I  am  one  of  them,"  replied  the  signalman. 

"What  company  do  you  belong  to?"  asked 
Lank. 

"To  the  Riverlawn  Cavalry." 

"  You  hain't  had  no  fightin',  I  reckon." 

"  Yes,  we  have ;  the  second  company  defeated  the 
force  that  came  here  at  daylight  this  morning,  and 
captured  the  whole  of  them.  The  same  company 
had  a  brush  with  the  Texan  Rangers,  and  they  all 
took  to  the  woods,  except  those  that  were  killed  or 
badly  wounded.  The  hospital  over  there  is  full  of 
them.  If  you  stay  on  this  bridge  long  enough, 
you  will  see  more  fighting  over  on  the  south 
road." 

The  bridgemen  looked  at  each  other,  and  said 
nothing  for  a  few  moments.  Deck  began  to  feel 
as  though  he  was  neglecting  his  duty ;  for  he  had 
been  giving  his  whole  attention  to  the  talk  of  the 
men,  with  only  an  occasional  glance  at  the  troopers 


THE   CONSPIRACY  ON  THE  BEIDGE  2-11 

below.  He  looked  again,  and  for  the  moment  he 
did  not  see  the  plume  of  his  father.  He  had 
changed  his  position,  though  it  was  not  likely 
that  he  had  gone  far,  and  he  began  a  search  for 
him  with  his  eyes.  He  did  not  discover  the 
major  at  once ;  for  he  had  moved  a  short  dis- 
tance up  the  south  road,  to  give  his  orders  to 
Captain  Gordon. 

While  he  was  continuing  his  search,  he  was 
suddenly  and  violently  drawn  backwards  behind 
the  fence.  If  the  bridgemen  did  not  talk  to- 
gether in  words  they  did  by  their  looks.  If 
any  one  had  been  regarding  the  scene  described, 
it  would  have  been  sufficiently  evident  to  him 
by  this  time  that  the  bridgemen  were  engaged 
in  a  conspiracy,  the  first  act  of  which  was  to 
secure  the  person  of  the  Union  soldier  who  had 
been  posted  at  the  flagstaff.  But  there  was  no 
one  to  observe  what  transpired  on  the  bridge. 

At  a  nod  from  Brown  Kipps,  Lank  Kablan 
sprang  lightly  forward;  and,  seizing  hold  of  the 
carbine  which  was  slung  on  his  back,  he  dragged 
him  into  the  shadow  of  the  fence  in  the  twink- 
ling of  an  eye.  As  soon  as  Lank  had  drawn  him 
within  reach  of  the  others,  they  all  laid  hold  of 


242  IN   THE   SADDLE 

him.  Deck  struggled  with  all  his  might,  and 
struck  out  right  and  left  with  his  fists  till  his 
hands  were  secured,  each  by  a  man,  while  the 
other  two  held  his  body.  The  tussle  was  quickly 
finished,  for  the  young  soldier  could  do  nothing 
against  four  full-grown  mechanics. 

Of  course  Deck  realized  that  he  was  the  victim 
of  a  plot^  prepared  while  none  of  the  operators 
were  in  sight.  His  first  feeling  was  one  of  humili' 
ation  that  he  had  allowed  himself  to  be  captured 
at  his  post,  or  so  near  it.  He  blamed  himself 
for  leaving  the  flagstaff;  but  probably  the  result 
would  have  been  the  same  if  he  had  not  left  it, 
for  a  distance  of  fifty  feet  would  not  have  pre- 
vented the  conspirators  from  securing  him  where 
he  was. 

The  four  ruffians  who  had  carried  out  their  plan 
appeared  to  be  what  they  claimed ;  bridgemen,  for 
they  were  all  provided  with  the  tools  that  are 
used  in  such  work.  But  it  was  evident  to  him 
when  the  question  came  to  his  mind,  that  they 
were  not  Union  men,  and  could  not  be  in  the 
employ  of  the  railroad  company,  which  was  now 
a  loyal  institution,  after  a  violent  discussion  with 
its  Tennessee  stockholders. 


THE   CONSPIRACY   ON  THE   BRIDGE  243 

"Don't  kick,  my  little  man,"  said  Kipps,  who 
appeared  to  be  the  foreman  of  the  gang,  whatever 
they  were.     "It  won't  do  no  good." 

Deck  was  painfully  conscious  of  what  the  leader 
said;  for  the  others  had  taken  his  carbine  and 
sabre  away  from  him,  and  laid  them  on  the  bench. 
With  the  slings  of  his  firearm  they  were  securing 
his  arms  behind  him,  while  Lank  Rablan  held  him 
by  the  collar  of  his  jacket.  It  occurred  to  him 
then  that  the  ruffians  had  not  taken  his  small 
revolver  from  him,  and  had  not  even  discovered 
that  he  had  one ;  but  it  might  as  well  have  been 
at  the  bottom  of  the  creek  so  far  as  being  of  any 
service  to  him  in  that  important  moment,  for  his 
hands  were  both  in  possession  of  the  enemy. 

He  had  kicked  with  his  long  boots,  and  en- 
deavored to  bring  his  spurs  to  bear  upon  the  shins 
of  his  antagonists ;  but  Kipps  had  strapped  his 
sabre  belt  around  his  ankles,  thus  depriving  him 
of  his  only  remaining  natural  means  of  defence. 
While  they  were  securing  his  arms  behind  him, 
which  they  evidently  intended  to  do  with  the 
greatest  care,  he  was  faced  to  the  position  of  his 
company.  Then  it  occurred  to  him  that  he  had 
one  resource  left.     His  voice  could  not  be  tied  up 


244  IN  THE   SADDLE 

like  his  legs  and  arms,  and  he  could  use  that  if 
nothing  else. 

"  Help  !  Help  !  Help  !  "  he  shouted  at  the  top 
of  his  lungs  three  times.  "  Below,  there  !  Senti- 
nels !     I  am  "  — 

This  was  as  far  as  he  was  permitted  to  proceed ; 
for  Kipps  caught  his  handkerchief  from  the  open- 
ing of  his  jacket,  and  stuffed  it  into  his  mouth. 
If  any  of  the  sentinels  around  the  prisoners'  camp 
heard  him,  they  could  make  nothing  of  the  cries. 
If  they  looked  about  them,  they  could  see  nothing 
on  the  surface  of  the  bridge,  even  if  the  shouts 
had  not  come  from  behind  the  fence. 

"  No  use,  my  little  beauty !  "  exclaimed  Kipps, 
as  the  two  men  completed  the  operation  of  strap- 
ping his  arms  behind  him.  "  They  can't  hear  you 
down  below,  and  you  only  worry  yourself,  without 
doin'  a  bit  of  good.  Now  be  a  Christian,  and  keep 
quiet  like  a  little  lamb,  as  you  are.  We  are  going 
to  be  busy  now  for  a  little  spell,  and  we  shall  have 
to  fasten  you  to  the  bench.  Be  easy,  and  amuse 
yourself  the  best  way  you  can.  You  can  whistle 
'Yankee  Doodle'  if  you  like,  and  I  reckon  you  can 
do  it  better  than  I  did." 

It  was  no  use  to  say  anything,  or  to  attempt  to 


THE  CONSPIRACY   ON   THE   BRIDGE         245 

do  anything.  He  was  tied  to  the  bench,  facing 
the  track ;  and  Kipps  was  considerate  enough  to 
take  the  handkerchief  from  his  mouth,  and  return 
it  to  the  inside  of  his  jacket.  The  other  three 
men  had  already  hastened  over  to  the  place  where 
they  had  come  upon  the  bridge,  and  disappeared. 
The  foreman  took  his  carbine  from  the  bench,  and 
started  to  follow  the  others. 

"  It  would  break  my  heart,  my  pretty  dove,  to 
have  to  shoot  you  with  your  own  piece ;  but  if 
you  make  a  row,  I  shall  have  to  do  it.  If  you 
keep  quiet  we  won't  hurt  you." 

Saying  this,  Kipps  left  him. 


246  IN  THE   SADDLE 


CHAPTER   XX 

THE   OPEEATIONS   OF   THE  BRIDGE-BTJRNERS 

Deck  was  alone,  a  prisoner,  his  ankles  bound 
together,  his  wrists  strapped  behind  him,  and  his 
body  made  fast  to  the  old  bench  against  the  fence. 
He  was  not  absolutely  uncomfortable  physically ; 
for  Brown  Kipps  had  extended  some  consideration 
to  him,  so  that  he  suffered  no  pain  from  the  bonds 
which  secured  him.  The  fastenings  were  straps, 
taken  from  his  accoutrements;  and  they  did  not 
cut  into  his  flesh,  as  cords  might  have  done  if  they 
had  been  tied  too  tight. 

All  his  pain  was  in  the  soul,  which  manacles 
are  dramatically  and  metaphorically  said  to  pierce 
when  the  victim  is  a  high-spirited  person.  Deck 
had  been  captured  at  his  post;  and  this  fact  hu- 
miliated him,  though  a  court-martial  would  have 
acquitted  him  of  all  blame.  No  one  below  could 
possibly  know  that  anything  had  happened  to  him, 
or  a  file  of  troopers  would  have  been  sent  to  re- 


THE   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BRIDGE-BUENERS     247 

lease  him  before  this  time.  He  was  almost  in 
sight  of  his  father  and  Artie ;  but  they  were  busy 
watching  and  waiting  for  the  fight  which  all  be- 
lieved would  certainly  take  place. 

But  the  prisoner  was  not  left  entirely  without 
occupation  other  than  his  needless  and  undeserved 
self-reproaches ;  for  if  any  one  was  to  blame  it  was 
his  father,  who  had  placed  him  alone  at  such  a  dis- 
tance from  the  rest  of  the  force,  though  no  one 
suspected  the  presence  of  an  enemy  in  that  direc- 
tion. He  had  enough  to  do  to  observe  the  opera- 
tions of  the  bridgemen.  The  moment  they  had 
secured  the  prisoner  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  fore- 
man, the  other  three  hastened  to  disappear  over 
the  embankment.  They  were  out  of  sight  but  a 
few  minutes,  and  then  one  of  them  returned,  while 
the  other  two  passed  up  to  him  several  gallon 
cans.  By  this  time  Kipps  joined  them ;  and  a  lot 
of  small  bundles  of  light  wood,  such  as  is  much 
used  in  the  South  in  kindling  fires,  were  tossed  up, 
and  caught  by  the  foreman. 

Deck  understood  that  all  these  articles  were 
combustibles,  though  he  could  not  make  out  the 
nature  of  some  of  them.  All  of  them  were  left 
where  they  had  been  received,  on  the  platform  of 


248  IN  THE  SADDLE 

the  bridge.  It  was  evident  enough  to  the  mana- 
cled observer  that  the  structure  was  doomed,  and 
was  to  be  burned  in  the  very  presence  of  the  cav- 
alry sent  to  protect  it.  Deck  twisted,  squirmed, 
and  struggled  when  he  realized  the  intentions  of 
the  bridgemen. 

It  galled  him  to  the  inmost  depths  of  the  soul 
to  think  that  the  bridge  was  to  be  destroyed  before 
his  eyes,  and  he  had  not  the  power  to  do  any  tiling 
to  save  it.  He  did  not  believe  he  would  be  left 
to  perish  in  the  flames,  if  they  reached  the  place 
where  he  was  secured,  and  he  had  not  a  selfish 
fear.  He  was  tempted  to  repeat  the  cries  he  had 
made  before ;  but  the  threat  of  Kipps  to  shoot  him 
if  he  "  made  a  row"  restrained  hira.  It  was  folly 
to  throw  away  his  life ;  for  he  was  vain  enough  to 
believe  it  might  be  of  some  service  to  his  country 
in  its  hour  of  peril. 

When  the  men  had  finished  passing  up  the  ma- 
terial, which  had  plainly  been  collected  in  this 
place  for  the  destruction  of  the  bridge,  each  of 
them  took  a  tin  case  under  his  arm,  and  they 
moved  over  to  the  shelter  of  the  fence  where  they 
had  left  their  tools.  They  stopped  there  long 
enough  to  obtain  a  couple  of  shovels  and  as  many 


THE   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BRIDGE-BUKNEES     249 

pickaxes,  and  then  went  to  the  end  of  the  fence 
next  to  the  bridge. 

If  the  occasion  had  been  less  serious,  Deck 
would  have  been  amused  at  the  bridgemen's  at- 
tempts to  conceal  themselves  from  the  force  below. 
They  worked  like  miners  following  a  vein  of  ore 
deep  down  in  the  bowels  of  the  earth,  as  the  wit- 
ness had  seen  them  in  pictures,  lying  on  their 
backs,  or  curled  up  in  a  heap,  using  the  pickaxe  as 
they  could.  Between  the  wall  and  the  embank- 
ment the  earth  had  settled  so  that  there  was  a 
considerable  cavity.  Two  of  the  men  worked  in 
this  hole  for  a  while,  the  others  lying  prone  upon 
the  ground  and  watching  them. 

Then  the  four  cans  they  had  brought  were  de- 
posited in  the  aperture,  Kipps  adjusting  and  pre- 
paring them  with  his  own  hands.  Deck  did  not 
understand  what  they  intended  to  accomplish  by 
this  operation,  though  he  concluded  that  they 
meant  to  blow  up  the  abutment,  and  that  the  cans 
contained  powder  or  dynamite.  Whatever  the  work 
was,  it  was  soon  completed ;  and  then  the  move- 
ments of  the  men  became  more  amusing  than  ever. 
They  crawled  about  on  their  hands  and  knees, 
carrying  the  cans  and  bundles  of  light  wood. 


250  IN   THE   SADDLE 

They  unbound  the  packages  of  wood,  arranged 
the  little  sticks  in  heaps,  and  poured  Avhat  Deck 
supposed  was  spirits  of  turpentine  or  kerosene  over 
them  and  on  the  planks  of  the  structure.  The 
work  of  preparation  was  soon  completed ;  for  the 
men  seemed  to  be  skilled  in  the  operation,  as 
though  they  had  had  experience  in  these  details. 
They  all  crawled  back  to  the  shelter  of  the  fence, 
and  straightened  their  backs  again. 

"  Now,  my  little  lily  of  the  valley,  I  shall  have 
to  put  you  under  marching  orders,"  Kipps  said,  as 
he  stopped  before  the  prisoner. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  'do  with  me  ?  "  asked 
Deck,  though  he  hardly  expected  a  definite  answer 
to  the  question. 

"  I  don't  know,  my  butterfly ;  but  I  reckon  you 
uns  over  there,"  he  replied,  pointing  to  the  soldiers 
below,  "  would  make  mischief  for  we  uns  if  we 
stay  here  a  great  while  longer ;  "  and  he  pro- 
ceeded to  release  the  victim  from  the  bench. 

"  I  judge  that  you  intend  to  blow  up  and  burn 
this  bridge,"  added  Deck. 

"  The  whole  Yankee  army  couldn't  save  it 
now!"  exclaimed  the  chief  bridgeman.  "We 
uns,  about  two  hundred  so'diers  along  with  us. 


THE   OPERATIONS    OF   THE   BRIDGE-BUKNEES     251 

was  sent  over  here  to  make  an  opening  between 
these  two  hills;  and  if  you  think  we  ain't  go'n'  to 
do  it,  why,  you  don't  know  Brown  Kipps,  that's 
all !  " 

"  I  think  I  have  been  pretty  well  introduced  to 
him,"  replied  Deck,  who  had  become  somewhat 
accustomed  to  the  situation;  and  he  thought  he 
should  fare  better  with  such  a  person  as  the  fore- 
man by  being  good-natured  than  by  growling  and 
annoying  him.  "When  you  whistled  'Yankee 
Doodle,'  I  made  up  my  mind  that  you  were  a  true 
Union  man,  and  my  heart  went  out  to  you." 

"  I  ain't  much  on  '  Yankee  Doodle,'  and  I  could 
done  better  with  'Dixie;'  and  I  ain't  none  o'  them 
carrion  as  whistles  '  Yankee  Doodle '  for  the  fun 
on't.  It  did  well  enough  to  still  your  nerves," 
said  Kipps,  as  he  finished  releasing  the  legs  of  his 
prisoner.  "  Now  I  want  you  to  march  up  to  that 
place  where  you  see  the  wagon  standin'  down  by 
the  side  of  the  railroad.  You  needn't  keep  step, 
nor  nothin'  o'  that  sort.  I  reckon  the  cheese- 
knife  and  the  shooter  are  too  heavy  for  a  young 
feller  like  you  to  kerry,  and  I'll  tote  'em  for  you," 
continued  the  bridge  foreman,  as  he  began  to  ex- 
amine the  lock  of  the  carbine. 


252  IN   THE   SADDLE 

"  You  are  very  kind,  Mr.  Kipps,"  replied  Deck. 

"  That's  me  all  over  when  you  use  me  well ; 
but,  my  little  lion,  if  you  should  take  into  that 
small  coon's  head  o'  yourn  to  be  ongrateful  for 
my  kindness  to  you,  and  make  a  row,  or  try  to  run 
away,  I  should  have  to  shoot  you  jest  the  same  as 
I  should  a  'possum  if  I  wanted  a  Christmas  dinner 
in  the  woods.     Is  this  thing  loaded  with  ball?  " 

"  Of  course  it  is  ;  it  wouldn't  be  any  better  than 
a  broomstick  if  it  were  not,"  replied  Deck. 

"I  don't  know  as  I  see  through  this  thing 
edzactly,"  said  Kipps,  as  he  continued  to  study  the 
mechanism  of  the  lock.  "  I've  got  the  cartridges, 
but  I  don't  see  any  ramrod.  Won't  you  just  show 
me  how  to  work  it?  " 

"  Teach  you  how  to  use  a  carbine  to  shoot  me 
with !  "  exclaimed  Deck,  trying  to  laugh.  "  You 
must  excuse  me,  for  that  would  be  giving  infor- 
mation to  the  enemy  in  time  of  war,  and  I  should 
be  court-martialed  for  it." 

"  Jest  as  you  like,  Yank ;  but  if  there  is  one 
load  in  the  pipestem,  that  will  be  enough  to  put 
3'ou  out  of  the  way  of  any  court-martial.  I  reckon 
I  see  into  it  now;  you  put  the  pill  in  here." 

"  I  haven't  anything  to  say  on  that  subject,  Mr. 


THE   OPERATIONS   OF   THE  BRIDGE-BTJRNEES     253 

Kipps;  but  if  you  should  happen  to  shoot  your- 
self with  it,  that  would  save  some  Union  soldier 
the  trouble  of 'doing  the  job,"  added  Deck. 

"  But  we  uns  hain't  got  no  time  to  fool,"  said 

-the  foreman  briskly.     "  You'll  let  the  cat  out  jest 

as  soon  as  you  see  us  by  the  wagon.     You  can 

start  things  now,  and  open  up  the  cat-bag  as  soon 

as  you  git  'em  started." 

"  What's  all  that  gwine  on  down  below  ?  "  asked 
Lank  Rablan,  as  he  looked  cautiously  by  the  end 
of  the  fence. 

"Well,  what  is  it?"  demanded  Kipps  im- 
patiently. 

"  They  are  all  lookin'  up  hyer ;  and  that  feller 
with  a  squawrel's  tail  in  his  hat  is  shaking  a  white 
rag  over  his  head  as  though  he'd  lost  his  senses,  if 
he  ever  had  any,"  Lank  explained. 

"  No  matter  what  it  is  !  Go  to  work,  and  hurry 
up,  Sykes! "  said  Kipps  in  vigorous  tones.  "Now, 
my  little  Yankee  angel,  jest  move  over  to  the 
other  side  of  the  track,  and  march  lively  !  " 

Sykes  was  already  crawling  along  the  brido-e, 
lighting  the  fires  he  had  prepared.  There  were 
not  more  than  half  a  dozen  of  them,  and  they 
were  soon  blazing  up,  though  in  the  bright  sun- 


254  IN   THE   SADDLE 

shine  they  did  not  make  much  show.  Deck  fol- 
lowed Lobkill  and  Rablan,  as  he  was  directed, 
while  Kipps,  with  the  carbine  in  his  hand,  brought 
up  the  rear.  The  foreman  changed  his  plan  when 
he  found  that  the  attention  of  the  soldiers  below 
was  directed  to  the  bridge  ;  and,  still  sheltered  by 
the  fence,  the  two  in  advance  left  the  level  of  the 
track,  and  made  their  way  along  the  slope  of  the 
embankment. 

Deck  was  ordered  to  follow  them ;  but  as  his 
arms  were  still  bound  behind  him,  he  found  it 
was  a  rather  difficult  matter  to  preserve  his  bal- 
ance. Kipps  spoke  to  him  quite  savagely,  per- 
haps believing  he  was  making  a  movement  to 
slide  down  the  slope  to  the  field  below. 

"If  you  think  it  is  an  easy  matter  to  walk 
along  this  steep  bank  with  your  hands  tied  be- 
hind you,  just  let  Mr.  Lobkill  put  you  in  the 
same  condition  that  I  am,  and  see  how  you  will 
get  along,"  replied  Deck,  as  good-naturedly  as 
before. 

"  There  may  be  sunthin'  in  that.  Jest  hold  still 
a  moment,"  said  Kipps. 

Deck  was  glad  enough  to  stop ;  for  he  was 
hardly   able   to   keep    on   his   feet,   as   the   earth 


THE   OPERATION'S    OF   THE   BRIDGE-BURNERS     255 

slipped  away  under  him.  The  foreman  un- 
strapped tlie  fastening,  and  put  the  sling  in 
liis  pocket,  perhaps  for  the  same  use  in  the 
future. 

"  Now,  little  lovely,  trot  again  ;  but  don't 
you  forget  that  I  have  got  the  hang  of  this 
shooting-iron,  and  the  ball  can  trot  faster'n  you 
can." 

The  prisoner  obeyed  the  order,  and  he  was 
beginning  to  think  that  the  foreman  was  a  toler- 
ably good  sort  of  a  fellow,  aside  from  his  politics. 
He  followed  his  leaders ;  and  he  had  now  no  dilii- 
culty  in  keeping  up  with  them,  for  he  could 
retain  his  balance  as  well  as  any  of  them.  In  a 
short  time  they  readied  the  vicinity  of  the  wagon, 
which  stood  in  the  field,  with  the  six  mules  that 
drew  it  there  fastened  to  the  pole.  The  mule- 
driver  was  a  negro,  who  was  asleep  on  the  grass 
by  the  side  of  the  vehicle. 

"  Now,  my  little  Yankee  saint,  we  are  all  right, 
and  in  about  three  minutes  and  three-quarters  that 
bridge  will  go  up  the  air;  or  some  on't  will,  and 
the  rest  on't  will  go  the  same  way  in  smoke,"  said 
Kipps,  as  he  seated  himself  on  a  disused  sleeper, 
and  took  a  black  pipe  from  his  pocket.     "  Don't 


256  IN   THE   SADDLE 

you   think  we    uns    are    right    smart    down  tliis 
way  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  you  are  ; 

'  For  Satan  finds  some  mischief  still 
For  idle  hands  to  do.' " 

"  But  Satan  didn't  find  any  for  you  uns  in  the 
ranks  over  yender,  fur  they've  been  idle  all  day," 
retorted  Kipps  with  an  explosive  horse-laugh. 

"  But  we  whipped  out  a  force  of  Texan  Rangers 
over  yonder,  and  I  don't  believe  they  have  done 
running  yet,"  answered  Deck. 

"  Them  Texicans  is  gwine  to  wipe  you  uns  out 
'fore  they  git  done  with  you,"  added  Lank  Rablan. 
"  I  consayt  they  see'd  sunthin'  on  the  bridge,  fur 
they  was  all  lookin'  that  way  when  Ave  left." 

"  There  comes  Sykes,  and  I  reckon  he  can  tell 
us  sunthin'  about  it,"  said  Kipps.  "If  anything's 
the  matter  down  below  there,  I  reckon  we  four 
had  better  go  down  and  lick  the  Yankees  out  of 
their  boots." 

"  Don't  you  do  it,  Mr.  Kipps,"  interposed  Deck. 
"  They  might  hang  you  for  burning  the  bridge." 

"  Wait  till  we  hear  what  Sykes  has  got  to  sa}^, 
and  then  "  — ■ 


THE    OPERATIONS    OF    THE   BRIDGE-BURNERS     257 

But  the  remark,  brilliant  as  it  might  Iiave 
proved  to  be,  was  interrupted  by  tlie  explosion 
which  was  heard  on  the  south  road,  and  wliich 
had  been  the  signal  for  Captain  Dingfield  to  make 
the  attack. 

"  There  goes  your  bridge !  "  exclaimed  Kipps, 
looking  at  his  prisoner  with  a  glow  of  exultation 
on  his  brown  face.  "  Now  I  reckon  you  can  see' 
that  your  Yankee  cavalry  couldn't  save  it." 

"  I  cannot  see  the  bridge  from  here,  and  I  don't 
know  whether  or  not  they  have  been  able  to  save 
it.     Wait  till  we  get  further  news,  Mr.  Kipps." 

"  I  reckon  we  don't  stop  here  no  longer,  for 
we've  done  our  work,  and  that  bridge  is  burning 
lively  before  this  time,"  added  the  foreman,  as 
he  shouted  to  the  negro  driver  to  hitch  on  his 
mules. 

In  ten  minutes  more  the  bridgemen  had  loaded 
themselves  in  the  covered  wagon,  with  all  their 
tools  and  material.  Deck  was  given  a  place  under 
the  canvas,  while  the  four  men  were  seated  at  the 
forward  end.  The  negro  started  his  team,  and 
the  prisoner  h^A  no  idea  where  he  was  going. 


258  IN   THE   SADDLE 


CHAPTER     XXI 

A   NEW   DISPOSITION   OF   THE   FORCES 

Major  Lyon  listened  with  the  most  intense 
interest  to  Lieutenant  Makepeace's  statement  in 
regard  to  the  bridge-builders,  as  he  called  them, 
though  bridge-burners  proved  to  be  a  more  appro- 
priate designation.  It  was  clear  enough  to  him 
that  his  son  had  encountered  these  men ;  and  the 
disappearance  of  Deck  appeared  to  be  explained, 
though  what  had  become  of  him  was  still  the 
vital  question. 

Life  Knox  had  returned  alone,  leaving  his  men 
to  guard  the  bridge ;  and  if  it  had  been  in  order 
for  the  sergeant  to  express  an  opinion  on  the 
subject,  he  would  have  said  that  sentinels  should 
have  been  placed  on  it  as  soon  as  the  comjoany  of 
Captain  Titus  had  been  captured.  The  major  had 
tardily  arrived  at  this  conclusion.  As  soon  as  he 
came  to  the  vicinity  of  the  hospital,  Knox  dis- 
covered the  plumed  hat  of  the  commander,  which 


A   NEW   DISPOSITION   OF   THE    EOIICES       259 

Deck  had  watched  all  the  time  he  was  on  the 
bridge. 

"  I'm  right  sorry  I  don't  bring  you  any  good 
news  of  your  son,"  said  Life,  riding  up  to  tlie 
commander,  and  saluting  him  as  soon  as  he 
turned  away  from  the  wounded  prisoner.  "The 
first  thing  we  had  to  do  was  to  put  out  the  fires, 
and  then  I  went  about  a  mile  up  the  track  to  look 
for  Deck  ;  but  I  could  not  find  him." 

"  Did  you  see  anybody  over  there  ?  "  asked  the 
major. 

"  Not  a  solitar}"  soul,  Major  Lyon." 

"  The  prisoner  in  the  hospital,  with  whom  I 
have  been  talking,  said  that  four  bridge-builders, 
with  a  wagon  and  six  mules,  went  over  that  way," 
suggested  tlie  major. 

"  I  reckon  they've  been  to  the  bridge,  and  set 
it  afire ;  but  none  of  them  was  there  when  I 
come  to  it  If  they  had  a  wagon  and  six  mules, 
thej^  left  as  soon  as  they'd  done  the  job  they  come 
to  do." 

"  What  was  the  condition  of  the  bridcje  when 
you  reached  it,  Knox  ?  "  asked  the  major. 

"  It  was  all  afire,  but  it  hadn't  burnt  much.  If 
we'd  got  there  ten  minutes  later,  nothin'  could 


260  IN   THE   SADDLE 

saved  it;  and  we  had  to  work  lively  as  it 
was." 

"  But  there  was  an  explosion  there." 

"  That  didn't  amount  to  shucks.  I  reckon  they 
stuck  the  cans  of  powder  in  between  the  'butment 
and  the  bankin',  and  it  only  blowed  out  a  lot  of 
dirt,  and  knocked  off  a  couple  of  stones  from 
the  top  of  the  wall.  They  brought  half-a-dozen 
bundles  of  light  wood  with  them,  pulled  them 
to  pieces,  and  then  poured  sperits  turpentine 
over  and  all  around  'em ;  for  we  found  the  cans  on 
the  platform.  The  fires  were  blazin'  lively  when 
we  got  there  ;  but  we  poked  the  wood  all  off  the 
bridge.  We  found  some  barrels  o'  water  they 
kept  on  the  platform  to  put  out  fires,  and  it  didn't 
take  lonof  to  make  an  end  on't.  That's  all  I 
know  about  it,  major." 

"But  what  do  you  suppose  has  become  of 
Dexter,  Knox  ?  "  asked  the  fatlier,  concealing  his 
feelings  as  much  as  he  could. 

"  The  bridge-burners  had  gone  when  we  got 
there,  and  I  reckon  they  took  Deck  with  'em," 
replied  the  sergeant. 

"  I  suppose  there  is  no  other  way  to  account  for 
his  absence.     Lieutenant  Belthorpe  has  been  sent 


A   NEW    DISPOSITION   OF   THE    FORCES       201 

with  half  the  first  company  to  look  out  for  the 
enemy  in  that  direction,"  added  the  major.  "  Re- 
turn to  the  bridge,  Knox,  and  make  sure  that  no 
further  attempt  is  made  to  destroy  it.  The  flag 
is  still  there,  and  I  see  that  you  have  hoisted  it 
again.  If  you  need  any  assistance,  haul  down  the 
flag  as  a  signal  to  that  effect." 

The  sergeant  hastened  back  to  his  post ;  and  the 
major  rode  up  to  the  cross-roads,  just  in  time  to 
meet  the  scouts  who  had  been  sent  up  the  east 
road,  coming  down  the  hill  at  full  speed.  There 
were  only  two  of  them ;  but  they  had  left  two 
others  at  the  hill  road. 

The  pair  of  riders  who  came  in  as  the  major 
reached  the  cross-roads  were  scouts ;  for  they  had 
been  sent  out  with  orders  to  go  where  they  pleased 
in  the  hills  to  obtain  all  the  information  they  could, 
especially  in  regard  to  the  approach  of  any  body 
of  the  enemy.  They  were  not  pickets  nor  skir- 
mishers, who  are  sent  out  to  act  on  fixed  lines. 

"  We  have  just  come  from  the  hill  road,"  said 
one  of  the  scouts,  as  he  saluted  the  major.  "  A 
detachment  of  the  Texans  has  just  come  down 
from  the  hills,  and  all  four  of  us  retreated  behind 
a  knoll  to  see  where  they  were  going." 


262  IN   THE    SADDLE 

"  And  where  were  they  going  ?  "  demanded  the 
commander  impatiently. 

"  They  kept  on  the  hill  road,  going  north." 

"How  many  of  tliem  were  there  ?  " 

"  Forty-two,  besides  the  officer  in  command, 
who  liad  one  arm  in  a  sling,  and  his  head  bound 
up  so  that  he  could  not  wear  his  cap." 

"  That  must  have  been  the  troop  that  we  en- 
gaged on  the  soutli  road,"  said  the  major.  "  But 
how  could  they  have  got  around  to  the  jDoint 
where  you  saw  them  ?  " 

Tlie  scouts  could  not  answer  this  question,  and 
the  commander  sent  them  back  to  the  point  from 
Avhich  they  had  come.  The  last  he  had  seen  of 
Captain  Dingfield's  command  was  on  the  south 
road,  retreating  at  the  best  speed  of  their  small 
horses.  He  had  sent  Captain  Gordon  in  pursuit 
as  soon  as  his  men  were  available.  So  far  as  he 
knew,  there  was  no  highway  by  which  the  hill 
road  could  be  reached  short  of  six  miles  south  of 
the  cross-roads,  near  the  place  where  the  Texans 
had  camped  the  night  before. 

In  order  to  have  reached  the  position  where  they 
were  reported  to  be  by  the  scouts,  they  must  have 
found  a  way  across  the  country.     He  opened  his 


A    NEW    DISPOSITION   OF   THE    FOKCES       263 

map,  and  began  to  study  it  very  diligentl}^  to 
ascertain  if  there  was  a  road  which  he  had  failed 
to  notice  before. 

"  More  scouts  coming  in,  father  I "  exclaimed 
Artie,  who  retained  his  position  near  the  field- 
officer,  the  only  one  present  with  the  squad- 
ron, for  the  regiment  had  not  been  fully 
organized. 

Major  Lyon  turned  his  attention  in  the  direction 
of  the  east  road.  He  saw  two  riders  galloping 
down  tlie  hill  with  all  speed ;  and  he  folded  up  his 
map,  restoring  it  to  his  pocket.  The  coming  of 
tliese  men  meant  something.  The  whole  of  the 
Texan  company  were  accounted  for,  as  half  of 
them  had  been  sent  to  the  north  by  Captain  Ding- 
field,  and  now  the  other  half  liad  been  reported 
as  having  gone  in  hot  haste  in  the  same  direction. 
Had  any  re-enforcement  been  sent  to  the  Texan 
cavalry  ? 

The  major  had  no  doubt  the  officer  at  the  head 
of  the  troop  reported  was  Captain  Dingfield.  He 
had  expected  to  find  his  body  in  the  road  after  the 
action,  for  he  had  been  the  most  prominent  person 
for  the  aim  of  the  men.  The  same  bullet  could 
hardly, have  hit  him  in  the  head  and  in  the  arm, 


264  IN    THE   SADDLE 

and  it  was  plain  that  he  had  been  wounded  at  least 
in  two  places. 

"  Where  is  Major  Lyon  ?  "  shouted  the  foremost 
of  the  two  scouts. 

"  Here  !  "  shouted  Artie,  though  it  was  a  need- 
less question,  for  the  plume  of  the  commander  dis- 
tinguished him  from  all  others. 

"Messenger  from  Captain  Gordon,"  said  the 
foremost  scout,  as  he  reined  in  his  foaming  steed, 
and  saluted  the  major. 

"Where  did  you  see  him?"  demanded  the  com- 
mander. 

"  On  the  hill  road,  where  I  rode  half  a  mile  at 
his  side ;  for  he  was  chasing  the  enemy  that  went 
along  just  before,  and  Styles  and  Brehan  came 
down  here  to  report  them  to  you." 

"  What  is  your  message  from  Captain  Gordon  ?  " 
asked  the  major  sharply. 

"  He  told  me  to  tell  you  he  had  pursued  the 
enemy  without  getting  near  enough  to  fire  at 
them." 

'"But  how  came  he  on  the  hill  road?"  de- 
manded the  commander  impatiently. 

"  He  told  me  to  say  to  you  that  they  had  taken 
to  the  fields  near  the  planter's  house,  and,  after 


A    NEW   DISPOSITION    OF   THE    FOECES       265 

a  good  deal  of  winding  about,  had  come  to  the  hill 
road.  When  I  told  him  we  had  seen  the  enemy, 
he  wanted  to  know  how  far  tliey  were  ahead  of 
him ;  and  I  told  him  as  near  as  I  could  guess  they 
were  about  half  a  mile  from  him.  That  is  all  I 
know  about  it.   Major  Lyon." 

"■Where  are  Styles  and  Brehan  now?" 

"  We  passed  them  on  our  way  down,  and  I  sup- 
pose they  will  stay  at  the  crossing  till  they  get 
further  orders." 

"  Very  well ;  return  to  your  places  in  the  com- 
pany," added  the  commander,  as  he  proceeded  to 
consider  the  information  he  had  just  received. 

The  situation  was  clearly  defined  in  his  mind. 
One-half  of  the  first  company,  under  Lieutenant 
Belthorpe,  had  been  sent  up  the  railroad;  and  the 
other  half,  under  Captain  Gordon,  was  pursuing 
the  enemy.  Captain  Dingfield  had  sent  half  his 
force  b}^  the  hill  road  to  the  north,  and  now  he 
was  retreating  in  the  same  direction  with  the 
other  half.  But  the  whole  of  the  first  company 
would  come  together  somewhere  in  tlie  vicinity 
of  the  railroad,  and  then  there  would  be  another 
fight. 

The  commander  had  with  him  at  the  cross-roads 


266  IN   THE    SADDLE 

and  at  the  camp  the  whole  of  the  second  company, 
where  they  were  not  likely  to  be  needed ;  for  it 
was  evident  that  Captain  Dingfield  had  left  none 
of  his  force  behind  him,  as  by  this  time  he  had 
realized  the  pressing  need  of  all  his  men  farther 
north.  It  was  plain  enough  to  the  commander 
that  another  action  was  to  be  fought  very  soon, 
if  it  was  not  already  in  progress,  though  no  firing 
could  be  heai'd. 

"  Artie,  tell  Captain  Truman  I  wish  to  speak 
with  him,"  said  he,  as  he  took  his  map  from  his 
pocket  again.  It  seemed  to  him  that  the  seat  of 
the  fightino'  had  been  transferred  to  the  north 
a  few  miles.  But  the  bridge  was  still  safe,  and 
so  far  he  had  accomj)lished  his  mission.  Captain 
Truman  had  proved  to  be  an  excellent  officer, 
though  all  in  the  two  companies  had  had  no  pre- 
vious service  in  actual  warfare  ;  but  they  hadshowii 
that  the  only  thing  they  lacked  was  military  ex- 
perience, and  in  that  respect  they  were  like  a 
very  large  proportion  of  all  the  officers  in  the 
field. 

"  I  was  just  coming  to  you,  Major  Lyon,  when 
you  "sent  for  m'e,"  said  the  captain,  as  he  reined  up 
liis  horse  in  front  of  the   commander.     "  One  of 


A  NEW   DISPOSITION   OF   THE    FORCES       267 

my  men  has  just  informed  me  that  there  is  a  train 
coining  down  the  railroad  from  the  north." 

"Artie,"  called  the  major,  "hurry  over  to  the 
bridge,  and  give  Knox  my  order  to  detain  the 
train  that  is  approaching  till  he  receives  further 
orders  from  me." 

Artie  did  not  wait  an  instant,  but  ran  his  horse 
down  the  road,  calling  to  the  idlers  and  prisoners 
to  get  out  of  the  way.  He  was  fortunate  enough 
to  find  the  sergeant  where  he  could  hail  him  from 
his  horse,  and  delivered  the  order. 

By  this  time  the  train  was  moving  very  slowly 
towards  the  bridge,  and  Knox  stopped  it  behind 
the  fence  which  had  done  so  much  ill  service  in 
concealing  the  bridgemen.  In  front  of  the  engine 
was  a  platform  car,  on  which  was  a  field-piece  and 
half-a-dozen  soldiers  ;  but  the  messenger  could 
not  stay  to  examine  the  provisions  for  the  protec- 
tion of  the  train,  which  was  doubtless  a  pioneer  of 
another  of  more  importance.  He  reported  to  his 
father  what  he  had  seen. 

"  The  wounded  and  the  prisoners  have  now  be- 
come an  incumbrance  to  me,  and  I  have  decided 
to  send  them  all  back  to  our  camp  at  Riverlawn," 
the  major  began,  as  soon  as  Artie  left  him.     "  So 


268  IN   THE   SADDLE 

far  the  enemy  have  failed  to  destroy  this  bridge ; 
but  I  have  no  doubt  they  will  continue  to  operate 
as  they  have  begun,  until  they  have  disabled  the 
railroad." 

"  The  one  over  the  Green  River  in  Hart  County 
is  likely  to  be  the  next  one  threatened,"  added  the 
captain. 

"That  or  some  other.  I  have  stopped  this  train 
because  it  affords  me  the  means  of  transportation 
for  the  wounded  and  prisoners.  I  shall  place  the 
removal  of  them  in  your  charge.  You  will  have 
the  train  stopped  where  it  crosses  the  swamp  road 
beyond  Dripping  Spring,  and  march  those  who  are 
able  to  walk  to  Riverlawn.  Take  the  wagons  of 
Captain  Titus's  company  with  you,  mules  and  all, 
and  convey  the  wounded  in  them.  How  many 
men  do  you  require  for  this  service  ?  " 

"  Twenty  will  be  enough,"  replied  Captain  Tru- 
man, who  appeared  not  to  be  pleased  with  the 
service  upon  which  he  was  ordered. 

The  commander  directed  him  to  proceed  with 
his  arrangements  at  once,  communicating  first  with 
the  officer  of  the  troops  on  the  train.  In  a  few 
minutes  Lieutenant  Blenks,  in  charge  of  the  camp, 
who  was  to  go  with  the  captain,  had  mustered  the 


A   NEW   DISPOSITION   OF   THE   FORCES       269 

prisoners,  while  his  superior  was  engaged  with  the 
officer  on  the  train.  This  gentleman  was  a  quar- 
termaster, with  the  rank  of  lieutenant,  who  had 
been  sent  on  a  duty  he  did  not  explain ;  but  he 
put  a  veto  on  the  plan  of  the  major  at  once.  He 
had  to  make  some  observations  near  Bowling 
Green,  and  the  train  would  return  before  night. 
He  suggested  that  Riverlawn  was  not  a  proper 
place  to  send  the  prisoners  or  the  wounded,  and 
he  proposed  to  convey  them  to  Louisville. 

Captain  Truman  reported  the  result  of  his  inter- 
view ;  and  the  major  accepted  the  compromise,  and 
was  better  pleased  with  it  than  with  his  own  plan. 
The  prisoners  were  marched  to  the  railroad  in 
chavQfe  of  the  gfuard  selected,  and  at  dark  the  train 
took  them  on  board.  It  was  not  necessary  for  the 
captain  to  go  with  them,  but  the  lieutenant  was 
to  return  as  soon  as  possible  with  the  soldiers. 

Not  long  after  the  train  started.  Major  Lyon 
marched  with  all  \m  remaining  force  to  the  hill 
road,  to  form  a  junction,  if  possible,  with  the  two 
divisions  of  his  first  company. 


270  IN  THE  SADDLE 


CHAPTER   XXII 

A   DESPERATE   DEED   CONTEMPLATED 

-Deck  Lyon  was  not  at  all  satisfied  with  his 
situation  in  the  wagon  in  which  he  had  been 
loaded  with  the  tools  and  materials  of  the  bridge- 
burners  ;  and  from  the  bundles  of  light  wood, 
cans  of  powder,  turpentine,  and  kerosene  in  the 
vehicle,  this  appeared  to  be  the  proper  name  for 
the  four  men.  With  the  men  smoking  their 
pipes  on  the  front  seat,  it  did  not  appear  to 
him  to  be  a  very  safe  position. 

The  wagon  would  have  been  called  a  "prairie 
schooner "  farther  west ;  and  was  of  the  kind 
used  in  Tennessee  and  North  Carolina,  and  per- 
haps elsewhere  in  the  South.  •It  had  a  high  front 
and  rear,  with  a  sheer  between  them  like  an  an- 
cient galley.  It  was  provided  with  a  canvas 
cover ;  and  the  bows  at  either  end  carried  it  out 
about  three  feet  beyond  the  body,  like  an  aAvn- 
inor  in  front  of   a  window.     The  driver  rode  on 


A  DESPERATE   DEED   CONTEMPLATED        271 

the  nigh  wheel  mule,  with  a  long  whip  in  his 
hand.  He  was  a  skilled  teamster,  and  did  not 
soar  to  the  refinement  of  reins,  but  did  his  driv- 
ing by  word  of  mouth,  and  the  application  of 
the  whip. 

Deck  had  no  idea  where  he  was,  Or  where  he 
was  going,  for  he  had  not  studied  the  map  of  the 
present  locality.  He  did  not  know  where  these 
men  had  come  from.  Captain  Truman  was  evi- 
dently unaware  of  their  existence  in  this  section, 
or  he  would  have  set  a  guard  over  the  bridge, 
after  he  had  captured  it  in  the  early  morning. 
If  the  son  had  listened  to  his  father's  conver- 
sation with  the  wounded  prisoner,  he  would  have 
learned  that  the  bridge-burners  had  been  sent 
over  with  the  flanking  detachment  that  had  been 
defeated  and  driven  off  by  the  second  company. 
They  had  made  their  way  to  the  vicinity  of  the 
bridge  with  their  wagon,  and  had  watched  for  an 
opportunity  to  do  their  work. 

They  had  found  the  signalman  in  their  way ; 
and,  doubtless,  it  had  required  some  time  to  ar- 
range their  plan  for  getting  him  out  of  the  wa3^ 
Deck  was  alone,  and  was  not  a  very  dangerous 
opponent  in  himself;  but  he  could  give  an  alarm 


272  IN   THE   SADDLE 

by  firing  his  carbine  or  otlierwise,  which  would 
bring  an  armed  force  to  his  assistance.  It  was 
necessary  to  resort  to  strategy ;  and  the  proceed- 
ings of  Brown  Kipps  to  get  the  troublesome 
signalman  out  of  the  way  have  already  been 
detailed.  If  the  young  man  had  had  more  ex- 
perience of  the  ways  of  the  world  in  general,  and 
of  the  methods  of  bridge-burners  in  particular, 
they  would  not  have  succeeded  so  well. 

The  combustible  goods  and  other  articles  in 
the  wagon  seemed  to  have  been  pitched  into  the 
vehicle  at  random;  for  they  were  not  arranged 
in  anything  like  order,  and  everything  was  in 
confusion.  It  seemed  to  the  prisoner  a  j^iece  of 
remarkably  good  fortune  that  he  had  not  had 
his  legs  and  arms  bound,  as  when  he  was  first 
taken.  He  was  only  a  boy,  though  a  stout  one, 
and  they  did  not  seem  to  set  a  high  estimate 
on  his  prowess  as  a  fighting  character;  for  they 
had  not  seen  him  in  the  skirmish  on  the  east 
road,  when  he  had  given  Lieutenant  Makepeace 
the  wounds  which  had  disabled  him. 

The  sabre  and  carbine  which  had  been  taken 
from  him  had  been  carelessly  thrown  into  the 
wagon,    though    they  were    within   reach   of   the 


A  DESPERATE   DEED   CONTEMPLATED         273 

men.  Deck  was  a  young  man  of  too  much  en- 
terprise to  be  mentally  inactive  in  the  midst  of 
his  present  misfortune,  and  the  wagon  had  hardly 
started  before  he  began  to  consider  his  chances  of 
escaping  from  the  custody  of  the  four  men.  At 
the  first  glance  he  could  see  that  the  chances  were 
all  against  him.  If  it  came  to  a  fight,  there  was 
no  chance  at  all  for  him ;  and  his  inborn  prudence 
did  not  permit  him  to  think  of  such  a  thing  as 
a  physical  contest  with  a  threefold  odds  against 
him. 

But  he  was  not  discouraged  at  the  mountain 
of  difficulty  in  front  of  him,  but  proceeded  to 
study  the  situation  very  carefully.  Jt  Avill  be 
remembered  that  his  captors  had  neglected  to 
take  from  him  the  revolver  he  carried  in  one 
of  his  pockets;  for,  doubtless,  it  did  not  occur 
to  Kipps  that  he  was  supplied  with  such  a  wea- 
pon. Deck  set  a  very  high  value  on  the  pistol 
in  his  present  emergency.  The  trousers  with 
which  he  had  been  supplied  by  the  government 
were  not  made  with  hip  pockets,  a  very  service- 
able improvement  to  the  garment,  not  unknown 
even  at  the  beginning  of  the  war. 

This  kind  of  pocket  was  very  useful  to   those 


274  IN   THE   SADDLE 

who  were  in  the  habit  -of  carrying  revolvers ;  but 
Deck's  ingenuity  had  enabled  him  to  provide  for 
the  deficiency.  He  had  arranged  a  sort  of  hook 
under  one  of  the  back  suspender  buttons,  about 
where  the  pocket  would  have  been  if  the  garment 
had  been  supplied  with  one,  so  that  he  could 
readily  produce  the  weapon  on  occasion.  He  had 
a  box  of  cartridges  in  his  pocket,  and  the  revolver 
was  fully  loaded  for  instant  service. 

His  carbine  and  sabre  lay  on  the  merchandise 
behind  the  men,  all  of  w^hom  were  seated  on  a 
front  seat  under  the  projecting  cover,  and  the 
wagon  was  wide  enough  to  provide  close  quarters 
for  all  of  them.  The  canvas  could  be  drawn 
down  so  as  to  protect  the  contents  of  the  body 
from  the  weather;  but  now  it  was  fastened  up,  so 
that  the  vehicle  was  open  in  front. 

Deck  thought  he  might  work  his  way  forward 
far  enough  to  enable  him  to  reach  his  regular 
weapons ;  and  at  first  he  thought  he  would  take 
this  step.  If  he  succeeded  in  obtaining  them,  all 
the  advantage  he  expected  to  gain  was  in  prevent- 
ing his  custodians  from  using  them  on  an  emer- 
gency; for  the  revolver  in  his  pocket  was  a  more 
effective  weapon  in  the  wagon.     He  looked  over 


A   DESPERATE   DEED    CONTEMPLATED        275 

the  miscellaneous  loading  of  the  vehicle,  and  tried 
to  find  a  place  for  each  of  his  feet  in  his  advance 
to  the  forward  part  of  the  wagon. 

His  survey  of  the  ground  was  not  at  all  satis- 
factory ;  for  there  was  no  firm  foundation  for  his 
feet.  He  must  move  noiselessly,  or  the  attention 
of  his  captors  would  be  called  to  him.  He  could 
not  expect  to  go  three  feet  without  disturbing 
some  of  the  articles ;  and  his  caution  compelled 
him  to  abandon  the  attempt  to  recover  his  arms. 
They  were  not  essential  to  his  success  in  any  plan 
he  might  adopt ;  and  if  Kipps  discovered  that  he 
was  trying  to  escape,  he  would  certainly  have  his 
arms  tied  behind  him  again  ;  and  that  might  cut 
off  all  his  chances.  He  was  satisfied  that  it  was 
not  prudent  for  him  to  attempt  to  reach  and 
obtain  his  carbine  and  sabre. 

Then  a  more  desperate  scheme  occurred  to  him, 
and  it  seemed  to  be  more  feasible  than  the  other. 
He  had  his  revolver;  and,  after  a  great  deal  of 
practice  with  it,  he  had  become  quite  skilful  in 
its  use.  He  had  seated  himself  on  a  box  close 
to  the  rear  curtains  of  the  wagon  when  Kipps 
committed  him  to  his  canvas  prison.  Though  it 
seemed   to   him   like    "fasteningf   a   door  with   a 


216  IN    THE    SADDLE 

boiled  carrot,"  he  had  seen  the  foreman  adjust 
and  fasten  a  padlock  on  the  curtains  after  he  had 
drawn  one  over  the  other. 

Doubtless  this  was  done  to  prevent  thieves  from 
stealing  any  of  the  stores  in  the  vehicle  in  the 
night;  but  any  enterprising  robber,  with  a  sharp 
knife  in  his  hand,  could  speedily  make  an  open- 
ing in  the  canvas.  These  men  were  not  soldiers, 
so  far  as  the  prisoner  knew ;  though  perhaps  they 
were  more  effectively  opposing  the  plans  of  the 
government  than  if  they  had  been,  by  destroying 
its  facilities  for  the  transportation  of  troops  and 
supplies  for  the  suppression  of  the  rebellion. 
They  were  enemies  as  much  as  though  they  had 
worn  the  gray  uniform. 

Deck  sat  on  the  box  with  his  hand  on  his 
revolver.  He  could  sit  there,  and  with  the  six 
bullets  in  his  pistol  he  could  shoot  every  one  of 
his  captors,  unless  some  of  them  fled  before  his 
fire.  One  of  them  miofht  seize  and  use  his  car- 
bine ;  but  he  would  have  a  barrel  in  his  weapon 
ready  for  him.  This  seemed  to  him  to  be  the 
most  promising  scheme  that  suggested  itself,  so 
far  as  mere  success  was  concerned.  It  would  rid 
this  vicinity  of  the  State  of  four  men  who  might 


A   DESPERATE   DEED   CO^^TEMPLATED        277 

do  as  miich  mischief  to  the  loyal  cause  as  a  whole 
company  of  soldiers,  even  if  they  were  Texan 
cavalry. 

■Deck  took  the  revolver  from  the  hook  inside  his 
trousers,  and  assured  himself  that  all  the  barrels 
were  charged.  Then  he  looked  the  wagon  over 
again,  and  considered  what  he  was  about  to  do. 
Incidentally  he  asked  himself  what  the  mechanics 
intended  to  do  with  him.  Doubtless  they  would 
hand  him  over  to  the  military,  and  he  would  be 
sent  to  the  South.  It  was  not  a  pleasant  prospect, 
and  he  prepared  to  use  his  weapon. 

It  was  Avar  in  which  his  lot  was  cast ;  and  the 
business  of  war  was  the  killing  of  men,  and  the 
more  the  better.  He  raised  the  weapon ;  but,  in 
spite  of  his  reasoning,  his  soul  revolted  at  the 
thought  of  the  act  he  had  been  ready  to  commit 
a  few  moments  before.  Brown  Kipps  had  used 
him  as  kindly  as  the  circumstances  would  permit, 
and  had  not  confined  his  arms  behind  him  when 
in  his  judgment  it  did  not  appear  to  require  it. 
It  looked  like  a  cold-blooded  murder,  and  a  cow- 
ardly deed  besides,  to  shoot  these  men  in  the  back 
of  the  head. 

He  believed  that,  if  he  committed  the  deed,  the 


278  IN    THE   SADDLE 

remembrance  of  it  would  haunt  him  as  long  as  he 
lived ;  and  the  Confederate  prison  was  better  than 
such  a  black  memory.  He  put  the  revolver  in  his 
pocket;  and  he  felt  more  like  a  Christian  when 
he  had  decided  not  to  be  guilty  of  the  outrage  to 
which  he  had  been  tempted.  He  wondered  what 
his  father,  who  was  a  true  Christian,  would  say 
when  he  related  this  incident  to  him,  if  he  ever 
saw  him  again. 

"  Mr.  Kipps,"  said  he  on  an  impulse  which 
suddenly  seized  him. 

"Well,  my  little  dandy,  what  now?"  asked  the 
foreman,  as  he  turned  his  head  as  far  as  his 
crowded  seat  would  permit. 

"Don't  you  think  you  have  carried  me  about 
far  enough?  "  demanded  Deck. 

"I  reckon  not  jest  yet.  You  are  a  Yankee 
soldier,  and  you  may  be  wuth  sunthin'  to  us  afore 
we  get  through  with  you,"  answered  Kipps  very 
good-naturedly.  "I  reckon  you  uns  down  below 
there  got  some  prisoners  out  o'  we  uns." 

"  No  doubt  of  that,"  added  Deck. 

"We  know'd  there  had  been  a  fight  down 
there  ;  but  we  don't  know  nothin'  more  about  it." 

Deck  told  liim  something  more  about  it,  includ- 


A   DESPERATE   DEED   CONTEMPLATED        279 

ing  the  fact  that  Lieutenant  Makepeace  was  a 
prisoner  in  the  hospital. 

"You  don't  say  so  I  "  exclaimed  Kipps,  deeply 
interested  in  the  statement.  "  Makepeace  brought 
us  over  here  part  of  the  way ;  and  he's  a  right 
down  good  feller,  and  I  liked  him  better'n  Ding- 
field.     I'm  sorry  for  him.     Is  he  in  a  bad  way?  " 

"  I  can't  say  how  bad ;  but  he  has  a  bullet  in 
his  chest,  and  a  sabre-cut  on  the  head,"  replied 
Deck.  "  Our  surgeon  is  taking  good  care  of 
him." 

"I'm  glad  you  uns  took  care  on  him  ;  and  if 
you  get  hurt,  we  uns  will  do  as  much  for  you," 
said  the  foreman. 

"  But  I  have  already  done  a  great  deal  more 
than  that  for  you  ;  and  you  may  thank  me  that 
you  four  are  not  dead  at  this  particular  moment," 
added  the  prisoner  boldly,  as  he  decided  to  adopt 
another  method  of  proceeding. 

"  How's  that,  little  sonny  ?  I  don't  edzactly 
see  it,"  answered  Kipps,  standing  up  on  the  plat- 
form in  front  of  the  wagon,  so  that  the  other  three 
could  turn  round  and  see  the  prisoner. 

"  Not  ten  minutes  ago  I  had  made  up  my  mind 
to  shoot  all  four  of  you,  and  make  my  way  back 


280  IK  THE   SADDLE 

to  my  company,"  continued  Deck,  as  he  produced 
his  revolver,  and  held  it  up  so  all  four  of  them 
could  see  it. 

At  this  moment  the  wagon  went  over  some 
obstacle  like  a  large  log ;  and,  as  the  hind  wheals 
descended  from  it  with  a  heavy  "jounce,"  Deck 
was  thrown  forward,  and  onl}^  saved  himself  from 
a  fall  among  the  assorted  loading  by  grasping  one 
of  the  bows. 

"  We  done  com'd  to  de  road,  Mars'r  Kipps  !  " 
shouted  the  driver,  as  he  stopped  his  team  after 
a  succession  of  yells  at  the  mules. 

"  Stay  where  you  are,  Jube  !  "  called  the  fore- 
man. "  I  want  to  know  how  my  life  was  saved, 
for  one,  afore  we  go  any  farthei'.  What's  the 
reason  we  uns  ain't  not  all  dead,  little  'possum  ?  " 

"  Because  I  didn't  shoot  you  all,"  replied  Deck, 
as  he  stood  holdiiig  to  the  bow  with  one  hand,  and 
the  revolver  with  the  other. 

"Do  you  ex2;)ect,  little  po'k-eater,  we  uns  should 
'a'  let  you  do  such  a  wicked  deed  as  that  ?  " 

"  But  I  could  have  done  it  without  asking  your 
permission,"  replied  Deck.  "  I  was  sitting  on 
that  box,  and  I  could  have  taken  you  first  through 
the  back  of  your  head ;  and  if  one  of  you  had 


A  DESPERATE   DEED   CONTEMPLATED        281 

moved  to  resist,  I  could  have  finished  him  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye.  I  don't  like  to  boast,  Mr. 
Brown  Kipps,  but  I  am  a  dead  shot  with  this 
particular  revolver ;  and  it  would  have  been  ready 
for  business  again  the  instant  I  had  disposed  of 
the  second  man.  It  fires  six  shots,  and  I  had  a 
chance  to  complete  the  job,  even  if  I  missed  my 
aim  twice.     Don't  you  see  it  ?  " 

"Where  did  you  get  that  little  shooter,  Lyons?" 

"  My  name  is  Lyon ;  there  is  only  one  of  us 
here.  Of  course  I  have  had  the  revolver  about 
me  all  the  time,  and  you  were  so  considerate  as 
not  to  take  it  from  me,  simply  because  it  did  not 
come  into  your  head  to  look  for  it." 

"  Why  didn't  you  do  the  shootin'  when  you  had 
the  chance,  little  coon  ?  " 

"  Because  I  concluded  that  it  would  be  mean 
and  cowardly  to  shoot  four  men  in  the  back  of  the 
head,  and  that  it  would  haunt  me  as  long  as  I 
lived." 

Kipps  suddenly  jumped  over  the  seat,  and  be- 
gan to  make  his  way  to  the  place  where  the  pris- 
oner stood;  but  Deck  pointed  the  revolver  at  him, 
and  commanded  him  to  halt. 


282  IN   THE   SADDLE 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

THE   SKIRMISH   ON   THE   HILL   EOAD 

Brown  Kipps  leaped  over  the  seat,  and  acted 
as  though  he  was  in  a  hurry  to  reach  Deck  Lyon, 
after  he  had  explained  the  desperate  deed  he  had 
contemplated ;  and  the  latter  thought  the  move- 
ment indicated  violence  on  the  part  of  the  fore- 
man. 

"  Halt  where  you  are,  Kipps !  Don't  come 
any  nearer!"  exclaimed  Deck;  and  the  revolver 
in  his  hand  enforced  his  command. 

"  Don't  shoot,  sonny !  I  only  wanted  to  catch 
you  by  the  hand,  and  shake  it  with  right  good 
will,"  replied  Kipps,  as  he  halted  where  the  car- 
bine and  sabre  of  the  young  cavalryman  were 
lying  between  his  two  feet.  "  I  b'lieve  what  you 
been  tellin'  on  us ;  and  I  reckon  it's  right  lucky 
some  on  us  on  this  front  seat  ain't  all  ready  to  be 
put  in  the  ground." 

"I  assure  you  that  I  have  told  you  the  exact 


Halt  where  you  are,  Kij^ps  !" 


Pag<i  2S2, 


THE    SKIRMISH    ON    THE   HILL   ROAD  283 

truth,"  said  Deck,  as  he  dropped  his  revolver  to 
his  side. 

The  moment  he  did  so  Kipps  stooped  as  quick 
as  a  flash  and  picked  up  the  carbine. 

"  Don't  shoot,  little  one  !  "  he  continued,  as  the 
prisoner  raised  his  weapon  again,  ready  to  meet 
this  new  combination  in  front  of  him. 

Deck  realized  that  he  must  act  quick,  and  he 
was  in  the  very  act  of  firing  at  the  foreman  v/hen 
he  spoke.  He  looked  his  opponent  in  the  eye  ; 
but  the  bridge-burner  did  not  bring  the  carbine 
to  his  shoulder.  He  had  grasped  it  near  the  muz- 
zle, and  he  held  it  with  the  stock  hanging  down; 
but  he  proceeded  no  farther  than  this,  and  the 
revolver  j^ointed  at  the  head  of  Kipps,  ready  to 
fire  if  he  elevated  the  piece.  He  was  in  doubt. 
The  words  of  the  foreman  did  not  indicate  that 
he  meant  violence;  he  felt  that  he  had  chance 
enough  to  save  himself  by  shooting  his  op- 
ponent before  he  could  bring  the  carbine  to 
bear  upon  him.  But  perhaps  this  was  the  most 
exciting  moment  in  the  lifetime  of  the  young 
soldier. 

"  Don't  shoot,  sonnjr !  "  repeated  Kipps,  still 
holding  the  carbine  in  a  position  that  rendered  it 


284  IN   THE   SADDLE 

entirely  useless ;  and  as  lie  spoke  he  advanced 
towards  his  prisoner. 

"  Don't  come  any  nearer,  Kipps,  or  there  will 
be  a  breathless  body  in  this  wagon  ! "  exclaimed 
Deck,  with  vim  enough  to  convince  the  other  that 
he  was  in  dead  earnest. 

"  I  won't  come  no  nearer,  if  you  say  so,  Lyons. 
I  was  only  go'n'  to  bring  this  shootin'-iron  and 
give  it  back  to  jou,  jest  to  show  you  that  I  was 
right  friendly-like  to  you ;  and  I  wanted  to  catch 
you  by  the  hand,  'cause  I  believe  you  could  'a' 
killed  some  or  all  on  us  if  you'd  had  a  mind  to. 
I  reckon  we  won't  quarrel  after  you've  held  up 
when  you  mou't  have  stuck  some  on  us." 

"Drop  that  carbine,  Kipps,  and  then  I  can 
better  understand  what  you  mean,"  re]3lied  Deck. 

"  That's  what's  the  matter,  is  it?  I  was  only 
go'n'  to  give  it  back  to  you,"  protested  the  fore- 
man, as  he  let  go  of  the  piece;  and  it  dropped 
upon  the  loading  of  the  wagon. 

Deck  lowered  his  revolver  to  his  side ;  and 
Kipps  climbed  over  the  bundles,  boxes,  tools,  and 
cans,  till  he  was  within  reach  of  his  late  prisoner, 
for  he  seemed  no  longer  to  regard  him  as  such. 
He   extended  his   big   hand   to   the    cavalryman, 


THE    SKIRMISH    ON    THE   HILL   EOAD  285 

whose  right  still  firmly  held  his  weapon,  and  he 
took  the  hand  of  the  other  with  his*  left. 

"  That's  a  right-down  honest  Tennessee  fist, 
L3'on3,  and  the  gizzard  always  goes  with  it,"  said 
he,  as  he  squeezed  the  hand  of  Deck  till  he  was 
on  the  point  of  crying  out  with  the  pain  of  the 
crackino-  bones.  "  There's  that  cheese-knife  and 
shooter  of  yourn,  and  you  can  take  'em  as  soon 
as  you  get  ready.  You're  a  Yankee  ;  but  you've 
sunthin'  raore'n  a  rock  for  a  gizzard." 

"  There's  my  hand  in  yours,  Kipps ;  it's  the 
left,  but  that  is  nearest  to  the  heart,"  replied 
Deck,  now  fully  trusting  the  Tennesseean,  as  he 
thrust  the  revolver  into  his  pocket,  satisfied  that 
he  should  have  no  further  use  for  it   at  present. 

"  You've  got  a  rayle  Tennessee  gizzard  in  your 
bowels,  Lyons,  and  I  like  you.  If  anybody  wants 
to  do  you  an  ill  turn,  he's  got  to  fight  Brown 
Kipps,  sure,"  added  the  foreman. 

"And  the  rest  on  us,"  put  in  Tom  Lobkill. 

"  That's  so,"  chimed  in  Lank  Rablan.  "  We 
ain't  none  on  us  gone  dead  yet ;  and  if  you 
hadn't  got  a  gizzard  tucked  away  somewliar  in 
your  bovrels,  some  on  ns  mou't  'a'  been  on  t'other 
side  o'  Jordan's  swellin'  flood." 


286  IN  THE   SADDLE 

"  Here's  your  tools,  Lyons,"  continued  Kipps, 
as  he  brought  the  sabre  and  carbine  to  Deck. 
"  Here's  the  trimmin's  that  goes  along  with  'em, 
and  you  can  rig  yourself  out  jest  as  you  was  when 
I  fust  laid  eyes  on  you." 

As  he  spoke  he  took  from  his  pockets  the  belt, 
sling,  and  other  articles  belonging  to  his  equip- 
ment. Deck  seated  himself  on  the  box  again,  and, 
after  he  had  adjusted  them,  he  put  them  on.  He 
turned  his  back  to  his  companions  in  the  wagon, 
and  restored  his  revolver  to  the  hook  where  he 
carried  it ;  for  lie  did  not  care  to  show  them  where 
it  had  been  concealed. 

"I  suppose  you  don't  intend  to  carry  me  any 
farther,  Kipps,"  said  Deck,  when  lie  had  fully  ac- 
coutred himself  for  a  march ;  and  he  hoped  to  be 
in  the  ranks  of  his  company  within  a  couple  of 
hours. 

With  his  companions,  he  believed  the  bridge  had 
been  destroyed,  and  tliat  his  father  had  failed  in 
the  principal  object  of  his  mission,  though  he  had 
defeated  the  enemy  in  every  engagement  in  which 
he  had  met  them. 

"  I  reckon  you  can  go  jest  where  you  like,  and 
kerry   that   gizzard   o'    yonrn   with  you,"  replied 


THE    SKIRMISH   ON   THE   HILL   ROAD  287 

Kipps.  "  I'm  only  sorry  you're  a  Yankee,  for 
you've  behaved  handsome  enough  to  be  a  Ten- 
nesseean." 

"  I  am  equally  sorry  you  are  not  all  four  Union 
soldiers,  standing  up  like  true  men  for  your  coun- 
try and  its  government,"  replied  Deck. 

"I  reckon  we'd  better  not  talk  on  that  sub- 
ject, for  we  can't  agree,  nohow,"  answered  the 
foreman,  as  he  went  to  the  front  of  the  wagon. 
"  Now  you  can  git  out  at  this  end,  for  t'other's 
locked." 

This  was  a  happy  conclusion  of  the  whole  mat- 
ter ;  and  Deck  realized  that  he  had  accomplished 
more  by  the  course  he  had  adopted  than  if  he  had 
carried  out  his  cold-blooded  intention  to  shoot  his 
custodians.  He  went  to  the  front,  and  Kipps  as- 
sisted him  to  alight;  for  his  weapons  interfered 
with  his  movements  in  descent. 

"  Where  are  we  now,  my  friends?""  asked  Deck, 
as  he  looked  about  him. 

"  I  don't  know,  no  more'n  a  goose  in  a  poke," 
replied  Kipps.  "We've  come  some  miles,  more  or 
less,  from  the  railroad ;  and  this  is  the  road  we 
come  down  on.  Where  are  we,  Jube  ? "  he  de- 
manded of  the  negro  driver. 


288  IN   THE    SADDLE 

"  I  reckon  we's  here,  Mars'r  Kipps,"  replied  the 
driver  with  a  grin  from  ear  to  ear. 

"  T  reckon  so  too  ;  but  whar's  here,  Jupiter?" 

"  Donno  whar  you  be,  Mars'r!"  exclaimed  the 
negro,  who  seemed  to  think  the  foreman  was 
joking  with  him. 

"I  don't  know  whar  I  am,  Jube ;  do  you?" 
replied  Kipps,  looking  about  him  to  identify  any- 
thing in  the  surroundings. 

"I  know  for  sartin ;  we  done  come  dis  way 
befo',  Mars'r.  Dis  is  jest  de  place  whar  we  done 
struck  in  de  field  to  find  de  roleraid,"  replied  the 
driver  confidently.  "  Dis  wot  de  fo'kes  here  call 
de  hill  road.'* 

"But  we  didn't  come  over  that  log  before." 

"  No,  sar ;  dis  nigger  runn'd  ag'in  it,  and  twis' 
it  round." 

"  I  reckon  we'd  better  camp  here  for  the  night, 
and  wait  for  orders,"  said  Kipps.  "You  can  go 
the  way  you  come,  Lyons." 

"  I  don't  know  that  I  can  find  my  way,"  replied 
Deck.  "  I  have  been  shut  up  in  your  wagon  all 
the  Avay,  so  that  I  could  see  nothing." 

"  You  can  foUer  the  wagon-track,  and  that  will 
fotch  vou  out  all  right,"  added  Lank. 


THE   SKIRMISH   ON   THE   HILL   ROAD  289 

But  Deck  was  in  doubt  about  returning  to  the 
railroad.  He  knew  that  Lieutenant  Belthorpe  had 
been  sent  over  to  the  railroad,  and  he  had  seen  the 
troopers  ride  up  the  embankment.  He  thought 
it  strange  that  he  had  not  encountered  his  force; 
and  he  proceeded,  Indian  fashion,  to  examine  the 
road  for  horse-tracks  in  the  sand.  The  sod  Avas  so 
tough  that  it  bore  no  indentation  inside  of  the 
log ;  but  in  the  road  he  found  plenty  of  horseshoe 
marks,  and  he  proceeded  to  study  them. 

They  all  indicated  that  the  riders  were  headed 
to  the  south,  or  in  the  direction  of  the  east  road, 
the  latter  of  which  led  to  the  camp  and  cross-roads. 
Was  it  possible  that  Belthorpe  had  returned  to 
the  camp  ?  This  was  what  the  marks  suggested. 
Deck  then  walked  by  the  log,  and  found  the 
track  extended  towards  the  north.  He  followed 
them  for  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  and  then  he 
found  where  they  began  on  the  road. 

At  this  point  he  found  the  fence  had  been 
thrown  down,  and  there  were  plenty  of  horse- 
tracks  in  the  cornfield  which  it  surrounded. 
These  led  up  from  the  direction  of  the  railroad. 
In  the  soft  ground  he  found,  on  the  left  of  the 
great   body  of    the   marks,   which  indicated  that 


290  IN   THE   SADDLE 

tlie  detachment  had  marched  by  fours,  the  print 
of  a  bar  shoe,  often  called  a  round  shoe.  He 
was  aware  that  Tom  Belthorpe  rode  a  horse  shod 
in  this  manner,  for  the  steed  had  belonged  in  the 
stable  of  the  planter  of  Riverlawn. 

His  investigation  proved  that  not  only  a  com- 
pany of  cavalry  had  come  up  from  the  railroad 
to  the  highway,  but  that  it  was  the  force  under 
command  of  the  first  lieutenant  of  the  first  com- 
pany. He  returned  to  the  highway,  wondering 
Avhat  had  become  of  this  detachment.  But  Deck 
did  not  know  that  a  portion  of  the  Texan  Ran- 
gers had  come  down  the  hill  road,  as  reported 
by  the  scouts  of  the  squadron.  He  hastened 
back  to  the  place  where  he  liad  left  the  wagon. 
As  he  approached  it  he  saw  two  mounted  Rangers 
talking  with  the  bridge-burners,  or  rather  with  the 
foreman  of  them;  and  the  other  three  were  help- 
ing the  driver  to  hitch  on  his  mules,  for  they 
had  begun  their  preparations  to  camp  there  for  | 
the  night. 

The  two  scouts  turned  their  horses  and  rode 
away  in  the  direction  from  which  they  had  come. 
Deck  had  halted  when  he  saw  them,  and  put  him- 
self behind  a  big  tree  at  the  side   of  the   road. 


THE   SKIRMISH    ON   THE    HILL   ROAD         291 

But  as  soon  as  tliey  rode  off  at  a  gallop,  as  though 
they  were  in  a  hurry,  he  advanced.  The  bridge- 
burners  were  all  busy  in  getting  the  mules  ready 
for  a  start. 

"  You  better  make  tracks  with  all  your  legs 
towards  the  railroad,  sonny,"  said  Kipps  ear- 
nestly. 

"  What  has  turned  up  now  ?  "  asked  Deck  with 
interest. 

"  Them  men  was  the  scouts  of  our  company, 
and  we  are  ordered  to  move  to  the  north  with 
all  the  speed  we  can  get  out  of  the  mules,"  con- 
tinued Kipps.  "  Our  company,  or  a  part  on't, 
will  be  here  soon ;  and  I  don't  want  'em  to  ketch 
you,  Lyons,  for  I  can't  do  nuthin'  for  you  if  they 
get  hold  on  you." 

"  All  right,  Kipps ;  and  I  am  very  much  obliged 
to  you  for  your  kind  service.  But  where  are  you 
going?"  asked  Deck. 

"  I  don't  know  no  more'n  the  dead.  I'm  to 
foller  this  road,  and  I  hain't  tlie  leastest  idee 
whar  it'll  fetch  out,"  replied  the  foreman,  as  he 
took  his  place  on  the  front  seat,  and  Jube  started 
the  unv>'illing  team. 

The  driver  plied  his  whip  with  cruel  vigor,  and 


292  IN   THE    SADDLE 

the  wagon  soon  disappeared.  Deck  was  per- 
plexed. Belthorpe  had  marched  up  the  hill  road, 
as  indicated  by  the  tracks  of  the  horses,  and  the 
Rangers  were  marching  down  the  same  road. 
How  did  it  happen  that  they  had  not  met,  and 
a  fight  had  not  ensued?  He  could  not  explain 
it.  Just  above  him  was  a  grove,  or  a  field  cov- 
ered with  sparsely  scattered  trees. 

Deck  was  very  anxious  to  ascertain  the  situa- 
tion of  affairs  in  this  section,  and  he  hoped  to 
be  able  to  give  his  father  some  important  infor- 
mation when  he  met  him.  He  placed  himself 
behind  a  tree  in  the  grove.  He  had  haidly  se- 
cured his  position  before  he  heard  the  clatter  of 
horses'  hoofs  and  the  clangor  of  sabres  in  the 
road  above  him.  In  a  minute  he  obtained  a  view 
of  them,  and  they  were  Rangers.  They  were  hur- 
rying their  horses  as  though  they  were  engaged 
in  some  important  movement. 

The  troops  had  not  come  abreast  of  the  observer 
before  he  heard  a  furious  yell  in  the  grove  not 
far  from  him.  The  shout  of  "  Riverlawn  !  "  was 
heard,  with  other  yells ;  and  a  body  of  the  Union 
cavalry  dashed  into  the  road,  and  fired  a  volley 
from  their  carbines. 


THE    SKIRMISH    ON    THE    HILL    ROAD  293 

"  Sliiiff  carbines  !  Draw  sabres  !  "  shouted  an 
officer ;  and  Deck  recognized  the  well-known  voice 
of  Tom  Belthorpe.  Then  they  charged  into  the 
enemy  with  a  fury  that  promised  to  annihilate 
them  in  a  very  short  time. 

Deck  belonged  in  this  portion  of  the  first  com- 
pany ;  but  he  had  no  horse,  and  he  could  not  join 
in  the  charge;  but  he  began  to  use  his  carbine. 
Tlie  Texans  fought  bravely  and  desperately,  and 
the  two  forces  seemed  to  be  about  equal.  The 
interested  observer  saw  one  of  his  company  top- 
ple over  from  his  horse,  and  the  excited  animal 
dragged  him,  with  one  foot  in  the  stirrup,  off  the 
field.  Deck  caught  the  horse,  and  reduced  him 
"to  subjection  with  a  vigorous  arm.  He  released 
the  soldier,  who  was  insensible,  and  placed  him 
under  a  tree.  Then  he  mounted  the  steed,  and 
dashed  into  the  fight. 

He  had  hardly  struck  a  blow  with  his  sabre 
before  he  heard  the  clanging  of  sabres  some  dis- 
tance in  the  rear.  At  the  head  of  it  was  the 
officer  in  command,  with  one  arm  in  a  sling,  and 
his  head  tied  up  with  bandages.  They  were 
Texan  cavalry,  without  a  doubt;  and  Deck  called 
the  attention  of  the  lieutenant  to  the  fact. 


294  IN   THE   SADDLE 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

CAPTAIN   DINGFIELD's    STRATEGY 

The  officer  at  the  head  of  the  approaching  force, 
wounded  in  tlie  head  and  arm,  could  be  no  other 
than  Captain  Dingfiekl ;  but  tliere  ^A^as  no  one 
present  wlio  knew  anything  about  the  brief  action 
in  which  the  commander  of  the  Texan  force  had 
been  defeated,  and  from  which  he  had  made  a 
very  liasty  retreat.  Major  Lyon  had  sent  Captain 
Gordon  with  half  his  company  in  pursuit  of  the 
fleeing  enemy;  the  passage  of  both  the  pursuers 
and  the  pursued  across  the  east  road  had  been 
reported  by  the  scouts  at  tlie  cross-roads. 

Deck  had  not  been  able  to  force  his  way  into  the 
thickest  of  the  fight ;  and,  being  near  the  side  of 
the  road,  he  was  the  first  to  discover  the  approach 
of  the  second  detachment  'of  the  enemy.  The 
action  was  in  progress  in  a  broad,  open  space  in 
the  road,  where  the  trees  had  been  cut  off  from 
the  land ;  and  the  ground  occupied  was  partly  in 


CAPTAIN    DINGFIELD'S    STRATEGY  295 

this  field.  He  could  readily  determine  that  Bel- 
thorpe  had  chosen  this  place  for  the  action  because 
it  presented  more  open  s]3ace. 

Doubtless  his  scouts  had  reported  to  him  the 
approach  of  the  first  section  of  the  enemy,  and 
he  had  concealed  his  force  in  the  grove  to  which 
Deck  had  retreated  to  observe  the  movements  of 
both  parties  in  the  conflict.  But  he  thought  the 
lieutenant  had  made  a  mistake  in  delaying  his 
attack  until  the  detachment  of  the  enemy  had 
advanced  too  far,  and  he  had  thrown  his  men 
upon  the  rear  instead  of  the  flank. 

The  lieutenant  had  less  than  fifty  men,  and  the 
enemy  fought  with  desperate  courage  and  deter- 
mination. But  his  men  were  fresh ;  for  they  had 
been  moving  leisurely  about  in  quest  of  the  foe, 
and  had  been  resting  a  short  time  in  the  grove, 
while  the  Rangers  had  ridden  a  long  distance. 
The  arrival  of  the  rest  of  their  company  would 
throw  all  the  advantage,  both  in  position  and 
numbers,  over  to  the  side  of  the  enemy  ;  and  Deck 
saw  in  an  instant  tlmt  the  battle  would  be  lost 
if  it  continued  under  these  unfavorable  circum- 
stances. 

"Lieutenant!  "  he  shouted,  flourishing  his  sabre 


296  IN    THE    SADDLE 

to  attract  attention,  when  he  had  approached  as 
near  as  he  could  to  the  officer. 

Tom  Belthorpe  was  using  his  sabre  vigorousl}'-, 
and  he  had  just  smote  to  the  ground  a  trooper, 
when  lie  heard  the  voice  of  Deck.  He  had  not 
seen  him  before,  and  was  not  aware  of  his  pres- 
ence. He  concluded  on  the  instant  that  the  son 
of  the  major  was  the  bearer  of  an  order  from  his 
father ;  and  he  knew  the  young  man  well  enough 
to  understand  that  he  would  not  call  him  at  such 
a  time  on  an  unimportant  matter,  and  he  rode 
towards  him. 

"  What  is  it.  Deck  ?  "  he  demanded,  full  of  the 
excitement  of  the  conflict. 

"You  are  flanked  and  outnumbered!"  shouted 
Deck ;  though  in  the  noise  and  fury  of  the  action 
no  one  but  the  lieutenant  heard  or  noticed  his 
call.  "There  is  another  detachment  of  the  Ran- 
gers coming  up  the  road.  You  are  beaten  if  you 
don't  get  out  of  it !  " 

"I  don't  understand  you.  Deck,"  replied  the 
oflicer,  glancing  at  his  men  still  engaged  in  the 
furious  strife. 

"  There  is  a  force  of  the  enemy  of  at  least  fifty 
men  coming  up  the  road,  and  in  three  minutes 


CAPTAIN   DINGFIELD'S   STRATEGY  297 

more  they  will  fall  upon  j^our  rear!"  repeated 
Deck,  speaking  as  clearly  as  though  he  had  been 
reading  his  piece  in  school. 

"Where  do  they  come  from?"  demanded  Tom, 
as  he  looked  back  in  the  direction  indicated  by 
the  sabre  of  his  friend,  and  they  were  the  best  of 
friends. 

"I  don't  know  anything  at  all  about  it,"  an- 
swered Deck  impatiently. 

The  fresh  troopers  of  the  lieutenant's  command 
were  driving  the  enemy  before  them  by  the  vigor- 
ous fighting  they  had  put  into  tlie  attack,  and 
they  were  somewhat  superior  in  numbers.  By 
the  time  Deck  had  given  his  warning  the  enemy 
had  been  forced  back  to  the  point  where  the 
wagon  had  emerged  from  the  fields  and  woods. 
The  lieutenant  was  obviously  very  unwilling  to 
give  an  order  to  retreat  wlien  victory  was  almost 
within  his  grasp.  It  was  the  first  action  in  which 
he  had  been  engaged,  and  his  pride  as  a  soldier 
was  implicated. 

Tom  looked  again  at  the  approaching  re-enforce- 
ment of  the  enemy ;  and  tlien  very  reluctantly  he 
summoned  the  bugler,  and  ordered  him  to  sound 
the    call,   "To  the   rear."     It  was   given   in   the 


298  IN   THE   SADDLE 

quickest  of  time ;  and  the  faces  of  the  troopers 
indicated  their  astonishment  and  chagrin  at  the 
nature  of  the  call,  when  victory  was  only  a  ques- 
tion of  minutes. 

The  men  fell  back ;  but  the  enemy  were  not  dis- 
posed to  follow  them,  and  perhaps  believed  they 
had  gained  a  victory.  They  were  facing  down  the 
road,  and  they  could  not  help  seeing  that  a  re-en- 
forcement for  their  side  was  approaching.  The 
lieutenant  in  command  reformed  his  men,  but  he 
did  not  order  them  to  charge  upon  their  retiring 
foe. 

"  I  don't  understand  this  business.  Deck,"  said 
Tom  Belthorpe,  when  he  realized  that  the  officer 
in  command  of  the  enemy  did  not  intend  to  pursue 
him. 

"  I  don't  understand  anything  beyond  what  I 
can  see  with  my  own  eyes,"  replied  Deck.  "  I 
have  just  come  over  this  region  in  a  wagon,  and 
I  advise  you  to  retreat  towards  the  railroad,  if  you 
will  excuse  me  for  saying  so." 

Tlie  lieutenant  gave  the  order  for  his  men  to 
retire  in  the  direction  indicated,  and  the  officer 
and  Deck  followed  them. 

"  We    were   within  two  minutes  of   a  victory, 


CAPTAIN  DINGFIELD's    STRATEGY  299 

Deck,"  said  Lieutenant  Belthorpe,  still  panting 
with  the  exertion  he  had  put  forth  in  the  combat. 

"  But  you  would  have  lost  it,  and  had  the 
tables  turned  on  you  two  minutes  later,"  replied 
Deck. 

"What  next?"  asked  the  officer,  who,  in  his 
inability  to  understand  the  situation,  was  per- 
plexed and  baffled.  "  I  don't  feel  like  running 
away  just  as  we  were  whipping  those    Texans." 

"  But  it  is  easier  to  run  away  before  you  have 
been  whipped  yourself  than  it  would  be  after- 
wards. I  should  judge  that  the  force  approaching 
is  the  other  half  of  the  Rangers'  compan3^  There 
they  come,"  added  Deck,  as  the  furious  riders  seen 
in  the  distance  halted  in  the  road  near  where  the 
bridge-burners  had  proposed  to  camp  for  the  night. 

Without  consulting  his  friend  and  companion  in 
regard  to  the  expediency  of  doing  so,  the  lieuten- 
ant gave  the  order  for  his  platoon  to  halt  at  the 
moment  when  they  had  encircled  one  of  the  knolls 
so  common  in  that  region.  He  and  Deck  were  in 
the  rear ;  and  though  the  men  could  not  see  the 
road,  it  was  in  full  view  from  the  position  occu- 
pied by  the  officer. 

"  I  am  not  feeling  like  doing  any  more  running 


300  IN   THE   SADDLE 

away  just  yet,"  said  Tom,  wlio  was  quite  willing 
to  forget  that  he  was  a  lieutenant  in  the  presence 
of  Private  Deck  Lyon. 

"  They  have  halted,  and  there  is  no  occasion  to 
run  away  just  yet;  but  it  is  best  to  take  the  bull 
by  the  hoj-ns  before  he  gores  you,"  added  the  pri- 
vate. "I  think  we  had  better  rest  under  that  big 
tree,  and  keep  out  of  sight  till  you  get  a  better 
idea  of  this  thing.  Lieutenant." 

The  suggestion  was  adopted,  and  they  rode  to  a 
position  under  the  tree  where  they  could  see  with- 
out being  seen. 

"They  have  come  together,  and  they  don't 
seem  to  know  where  they  are  any  better  than  we 
do,"  said  the  lieutenant.  "I  should  say  they  had 
had  a  hard  ride  by  the  looks  of  their  horses  ;  "  and 
the  officer  had  looked  at  the  reunited  company 
through  a  small  opera-glass  he  carried  in  his 
pocket,  though  the  distance  was  hardly  more  than 
five  hundred  feet. 

"  Hold  on  a  minute,  Tom  !  "  exclaimed  Deck, 
as  he  slid  from  his  horse,  and  fastened  him  to  a 
branch. 

"What  are  you  going  to  do  now,  Deck?"  de- 
manded the  lieutenant. 


CAPTAIN   DINGFIELD'S   STRATEGY  301 

"I  am  going  up  there  to  find  out  what  is  going 
on,"  replied,  the  private,  as  he  detached  his  sabre, 
and  fastened  it  to  his  saddle. 

"But  you  will  be  picked  up,"  suggested  Tom. 

"  If  I  am  I  wall  let  you  know ;  but  I  am  deter- 
mined to  get  posted,  so  that  I  can  give  you  reliable 
information,"  answered  Deck.  "  But  I  obey  your 
orders ;  and,  if  you  tell  me  not  to  go,  of  course  I 
shall  not." 

"Do  as  you  think  best.  Deck,"  replied  the  lieu- 
tenant, who  found  it  difficult  to  realize  that  he 
was  the  military  superior  of  ]iis  friend. 

Deck  waited  for  nothing  more.  His  carbine 
was  still  slung  at  his  back ;  but  he  had  j)rovided 
that  the  clang-  of  his  sabre  as  he  walked  should 
not  betray  him.  He  had  looked  the  ground  over 
before  that  day,  and  knew  Avhere  he  was  locally, 
though  lie  was  ignorant  of  the  positions  of  the 
several  bodies  of  troopers  other  than  those  before 
his  eyes.  He  was  on  the  border  of  the  grove,  con- 
sisting of  large  trees,  rather  far  apart.  He  got  be- 
hind the  trunk  of  one  of  these,  and  then  picked 
his  way  from  one  to  another,  till  he  was  within 
thirty  feet  of  the  officers  in  command  of  the  com- 
pany. 


302  IN   THE   SADDLE 

The  lieutenant  of  the  platoon  ^Y]licll  had  done 
the  fighting  had  ridden  away  from  his  command  a 
short  distance;  and  when  Deck  first  saw  him  he 
was  peering  into  the  region  between  the  railroad 
and  the  road,  doubtless  anxious  to  ascertain  what 
had  become  of  the  force  with  which  he  had  just 
been  engaged.  The  man  with  his  head  tied  up 
and  his  arm  in  a  sling  called  upon  a  sergeant  to 
rearrange  the  bandage  on  his  head;  and  he  had 
just  completed  his  task  when  Deck  reached  the 
shelter  of  the  tree  he  had  selected.  The  Avounded 
officer,  for  such  his  uniform  and  shoulder-strajDS 
indicated  that  he  was,  appeared  to  be  ready  for 
business. 

"  Where  is  Lieutenant  Redway  ?  "  he  demanded 
very  impatiently. 

"  There  he  comes.  Captain  Dingfield,"  rejDlied 
the  sergeant  at  his  side. 

The  lieutenant  hurried  up  his  jaded  steed, 
and  saluted  his  captain. 

"  I  thought  I  saw  a  fight  going  on  here,"  con- 
tinued the  commander  of  the  company,  thougli 
Deck  had  never  heard  his  name  before. 

"  So  there  was,  Cajotain  Dingfield ;  and  a  very 
sharp  one  at  that,"  replied  Lieutenant   Redway. 


CAPTAIN   DINGFIELD's    STRATEGY  303 

"  But  we  defeated  the  enemy,  whipped  them 
out  of  their  boots,  and  they  fied  like  a  flock 
of  frightened  sheep  down  that  opening ; "  and 
the  reporter  of  this  information  pointed  in  the 
direction  in  which  Tom's  command  had  retired. 

"  If  the  Father  of  Lies,  who  is  always  swinging 
his  caudal  appendage  over  the  world  in  search  of 
the  biggest  liars,  should  come  here  for  one,  where 
could  Captain  Dingfield  hide  you.  Lieutenant 
Redway  ?  "  said  Deck  to  himself ;  for  it  would 
not  have  been  prudent  to  say  it  out  loud. 

"  Why  didn't  you  follow  them  up  ?  "  demanded 
the  captain,  with  some  indignation  in  his  tones 
and  manner. 

"Because  you  were  in  sight  with  the  rest  of 
the  company ;  and  I  deemed  it  my  duty  to  wait  for 
orders,  especially  as  you  had  sent  me  directions 
to  hurry  forward  the  bridge  brigade,"  replied  the 
lieutenant. 

"But  I  am  closely  pursued  by  a  force  in  the 
rear ;  and  it  cannot  be  far  behind  me  by  this  time. 
How  large  was  the  detachment  you  fought.  Red- 
way  ?  "  asked  the  captain,  looking  behind  him  at 
the  road,  as  though  he  believed  his  pursuers  were 
close  at  hand. 


304  IN   THE   SADDLE 

"  About  the  size  of  my  command. ;  fifty  men,  I 
should  say." 

"  You  ought  to  have  wiped  them  out ;  and 
you  have  made  a  mess  of  it  by  not  doing  so," 
added  the  captain. 

The  two  officers  had  withdrawn  from  the  imme- 
diate vicinity  of  their  men,  and  chosen  a  place 
within  twenty  feet  of  Deck's  tree,  so  that  he 
could  hear  them  very  distinctly.  The  conversa- 
tion was  exceedingly  interesting  to  him,  espe- 
cially the  fact  in  regard  to  the  pursuing  force. 

"I  acted  upon  my  best  judgment." 

"  I  had  a  rough  fight  in  the  road,  on  my  way  to 
the  bridge,  and  I  have  hardl}^  forty  men  left,  while 
the  Yankees  will  have  a  full  company  when  the 
detachment  behind  me  comes  up,"  added  the  cap- 
tain, who  was  evidently  in  a  contemplative  mood. 
"  The  force  you  whipped  must  be  at  no  great 
distance  from  this  road." 

"  I  think  they  will  keep  on  running  for  the 
next  three  miles,"  said  Redway.  "  I  went  up 
the  road  to  look  for  them,  but  I  could  see  noth- 
ing of  them." 

"  But  we  shall  be  outnumbered  if  we  let  the 
two   parts   of    this    company   come    together.      I 


CAPTAIN    DINGFIELD's    STRATEGY  305 

have  found  that  they  fight  like  Texans.  If  we 
meet  the  whole  of  them  together,  we  shall  be 
whipped,  as  Makepeace  was.  There  is  only  one 
thing  to  do.  Form  the  whole  company  in  column 
by  fours,  and  we  must  go  back  and  beat  our 
pursuers,  before  they  get  as  far  as  this,"  said 
Captain  Dingfield,  suddenly  becoming  very  ani- 
mated and  energetic. 

Deck  concluded  that  the  time  had  come  for 
him  to  leave  his  retreat;  and  he  felt  that  he 
had  not  lost  his  time  in  carrying  out  the  plan 
he  had  suggested.  But  it  would  be  safer  for 
him  to  retreat  in  five  minutes  more  than  at 
that  moment.  He  looked  on  while  the  Rangfers 
formed,  and  saw  thera  march  on  their  present 
mission.  He  had  not  a  very  high  opinion  of  the 
strategy  of  Captain  Dingfield ;  and  if  his  sub- 
ordinate officer  had  given  him  correct  informa- 
tion, perhaps  he  would  have  adopted  a  different 
course. 

The  Rangers  could  no  longer  see  him,  and 
he  broke  into  a  run  as  soon  as  they  had  gone. 
He  found  everything  as  he  had  left  it,  and  he 
proceeded  to  report  his  intelligence  to  Lieuten- 
ant Belthorpe. 


306  IN   THE   SADDLE 


CHAPTER   XXV 

SUNDKY  FLANK  MOVEMENTS  AERANGED 

Captain  Dingfield,  with  the  portion  of  his 
company  with  which  he  had  attacked  Major  Lyon 
near  the  cross-roads,  where  he  had  been  badly 
beaten  at  the  first  assault,  had  fled  across  the 
country,  and  was  continuing  his  flight  along  the 
hill  road.  Doubtless  he  did  not  intend  to  fight 
a  battle  at  the  point  mentioned,  but  had  made 
the  attack  immediately  after  the  explosion  on  the 
bridge  to  occupy  the  attention  of  the  force  there 
until  his  men  had  completed  the  destruction  of 
the  structure. 

He  appeared  to  have  discovered  that  the  squad- 
ron of  cavalry  he  had  encountered  was  not  so 
easily  annihilated  as  he  had  believed  they  would 
be  by  his  invincible  Rangers.  On  the  contrary, 
he  found  his  troop  in  a  difficult  situation,  with  a 
superior  force  near  him.  Doubtless  he  had  read 
in  what  manner  Napoleon  I.  defeated  an  army  of 


SUNDKY   FLANK   MOVEMENTS   ARRANGED      307 

superior  numbers  by  taking  it  when  divided  into 
two  parts,  delivering  battle  to  each  in  turn. 

Captain  Gordon,  with  half  his  company,  had  been 
sent  in  pursuit  of  him,  but  had  been  somewhat 
delayed  in  his  movements.  Captain  Dingfield 
had  united  the  two  portions  of  his  company  after 
the  skirmish  of  one  of  them  with  Lieutenant  Bel- 
thorpe,  who  was  believed  to  have  retreated  to  the 
railroad. 

Deck  Lyon  had  listened  to  the  interview  be- 
tween the  captain  and  lieutenant  of  the  Rangers, 
and  fully  understood  their  plan.  As  soon  as  the 
company  had  departed  on  their  mission  to  anni- 
hilate the  detachment  of  Captain  Gordon,  he 
hastened  back  to  the  big  tree  where  he  had  left 
Lieutenant  Belthorpe.  Tom  had  just  crossed 
swords  with  the  enemy  for  the  first  time,  and  had 
fought  like  a  lion ;  but  he  was  nervous  in  regard 
to  the  situation.  He  had  no  superior  officer  near 
him,  and  he  felt  the  responsibility  of  his  position. 

"Well,  Deck,  what  next?"  he  asked,  before  the 
young  soldier  could  get  within  talking  distance 
of  him. 

"  There  is  work  for  you,"  replied  Deck ;  and 
though  he  knew  precisely  what  ought  to  be  done, 


308  IN   THE   SADDLE 

he  was  very  careful  not  to  suggest  anything.  He 
did  not  wish  to  overstep  the  line  of  his  duty  as 
a  private,  though  he  and  the  lieutenant  were  on 
the  most  intimate  and  familiar  terms  of  friendship. 
He  hurried  his  steps ;  and  in  as  few  words  as  pos- 
sible he  related  all  he  had  seen  and  heard. 

"  Then,  Captain  Dingfield  has  gone  out  with  his 
whole  company  to  intercept  Gordon?"  said  the 
officer. 

"Precisely  so;  and  I  don't  kftow  what  force 
Captain  Gordon  has  with  him,"  added  Deck. 
"  The  Rangers  believe  your  command  has  re- 
treated to  the  railroad,  and  are  well  out  of  the 
way." 

"  We  will  convince  them  to  the  contrary  very 
soon,"  said  Tom  with  energy,  and  darted  off  at  the 
best  speed  of  his  horse  for  the  knoll  where  he  had 
left  his  men. 

Deck  restored  his  sabre  to  its  place,  and  mounted 
his  horse.  He  was  ready  to  return  to  the  ranks; 
but  Tom  called  him,  and  he  took  his  place  at  the 
side  of  his  friend.  The  lieutenant  asked  liim  a 
great  many  questions ;  for  the  troop  could  not 
move  at  their  best  speed  on  account  of  the  trees 
and  bushes. 


SUNDRY  FLANK  MOVEMENTS  ARRANGED   309 

"I  suppose  we  liave  nothing  to  do  but  follow 
and  pitch  in  when  we  find  the  enemy,"  said  Tom, 
when  they  came  out  on  the  hill  road.  "  We  can't 
see  anything  of  Dingfield's  companj-  yet." 

"  He  has  not  got  over  the  top  of  that  hill  we 
see  ahead,  and  is  in  the  valley  this  side.  Neither 
of  us  has  been  over  this  road,  and  we  know  noth- 
ing at  all  about  it,"  replied  Deck,  careful  not  to 
wound  the  pride  of  his  officer. 

"  Why  don't  you  speak  out,  Deck,  and  tell  me 
what  3'ou  are  thinking  about?"  said  the  lieutenant 
somewhat  impatiently.  "You  keep  in  your  shell 
as  tight  as  a  Baltimore  oyster.  You  did  not  hesi- 
tate to  tell  me  what  you  had  in  your  sconce  when 
we  were  fighting  that  detachment  in  the  road." 

"I  only  intended  to  give  you  the  information 
that  Dingfield's  company  was  coming,  and  would 
then  outnumber  you,"  replied  Deck. 

"  You  advised  me  to  retreat,  and  I  did  so,  for 
I  saw  that  you  were  right." 

"  But  you  are  my  superior  officer,  and  my  busi- 
ness consists  in  obeying  your  orders,"  replied  the 
private  with  becoming  humility. 

"  None  of  that,  Deck  !  We  will  keep  up  all  the 
forms  and  ceremonies  ;  but  I  want  you  to  be  Deck 


310  IN    THE    SADDLE 

Lyon,  while  I  am  Tom  Belthorpe,  when  we  are  side 
by  side  as  we  are  at  this  moment.  I  say  all  we 
have  to  do  is  to  ride  ahead  till  we  find  the  enemy, 
and  then  pitch  in.     Is  that  your  idea,  Deck  ?  " 

"With  all  due  deference,  Tom,  it  is  not,"  re- 
plied the  private. 

"  Confound  your  deference ! "  exclaimed  the  lieu- 
tenant. "I  asked  your  advice,  and  you  mumble 
about  forms." 

"I  will  speak  as  plainly  as  I  know  how  to 
speak.  If  you  show  yourself  to  Captain  Ding- 
field,  he  will  run  away  if  he  can.  He  has  been 
badly  punished  to-day,  and  he  can't  stand  much 
more  of  it.  When  he  finds  himself  pinched 
between  Captain  Gordon  and  yourself,  I  don't 
believe  he  will  feel  like  cutting  his  way  out." 

"But  he  outnumbers  Gordon  just  now,"  Tom 
objected. 

"  Of  course  you  will  not  let  Captain  Gordon 
suffer,"  continued  Deck.  "  If  you  will  allow  me 
to  say  it,  I  will  suggest  what  I  should  do  if  I 
were  in  your  place." 

"  Allow  you  !  Confound  you,  Deck  !  Didn't 
I  ask  you  point-blank  what  you  would  do?"  de- 
manded Tom. 


SUNDRY  FLANK  MOVEMENTS  ARRANGED   311 

"  We  are  moving  at  a  dog-trot  now,  and  that 
is  just  right.  Before  we  get  to  the  top  of  that 
hill  yonder  in  the  road,  I  should  halt,  and  send 
a  scout  ahead  to  report  on  what  there  is  to  be 
seen,"  said  Deck. 

"All  right!  I  detail  you  as  the  scout,"  an- 
swered the  lieutenant  very  promptly. 

"  Then  I  will  leave  you.  If  I  raise  my  cap 
over  my  head,  hurry  up.  If  I  make  no  sign, 
come  along  leisurely,"  added  Deck,  as  he  urged 
his  steed  to  a  gallop,  and  dashed  ahead. 

Just  then  he  wished  he  had  Ceph ;  but  he  liad 
left  him  hitched  near  the  bridge  when  he  ascended 
it  to  take  in  the  flag,  though  the  horse  he  had 
was  not  a  bad  one.  How  far  in  the  rear  of  Cap- 
tain Dingfield's  company  Captain  Gordon  had 
been  he  had  no  means  of  judging.  Deck  reached 
the  summit  of  the  hill  over  which  the  road  passed. 
He  reined  in  his  steed,  and  walked  him  till  his 
own  head  was  high  enough  to  see  over  the  crest 
in  front  of  him. 

Captain  Dingfield's  company  was  not  in  sight. 
Not  more  than  half  a  mile  ahead  of  him  was 
another  hill,  beyond  which  the  enemy  had  dis- 
appeared.    He  took  off  his  cap  and  waved  it  in 


312  IN   THE   SADDLE 

the  air  above  his  head.  Tom  could  not  help  see- 
ing it;  and  his  command  were  immediately  gal- 
loping towards  him.  Deck  did  not  wait  for  them, 
but  ran  his  own  horse  till  he  reached  the  sum- 
mit of  the  second  hill.  Here  he  halted  again. 
There  was  a  third  hill,  and  probably  one  every 
mile  or  half-mile ;  for  this  was  the  hill  road. 

Captain  Dingfield  had  not  hurried  his  men,  and 
Deck  discovered  Ins  force  on  the  lowest  ground 
between  the  two  hills.  He  had  halted  there,  and 
the  men  appeared  to  be  watering  their  horses. 
Deck  was  sorry  he  had  not  a  field-glass.  He  fell 
back  a  short  distance,  so  that  his  horse  should  not 
be  seen  by  the  enemy,  hitched  him  to  a  sapling, 
and  returned  to  the  top  of  the  hill  on  foot.  After 
examining  the  location  of  tlie  enemy  as  well  as 
he  could,  he  concluded  that  a  road  crossed  that 
upon  which  both  forces  were  moving,  though 'he 
was  not  sure. 

Returning  to  his  liorse,  he  mounted  again,  and 
descended  the  hill  a  few  rods.  The  lieutenant 
had  reached  the  top  of  the  first  hill,  and  Deck 
waved. his  cap  again.  As  soon  as  Tom  reached 
the  sj)ot  where  the  private  was,  he  halted  his 
command.     He  hastily  informed   his   officer   that 


SUNDRY    FLANK   MOVEMENTS    ARRANGED      313 

the  enemy  were  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  on  the 
other  side. 

"I  must  not  lose  sight  of  them  for  long,"  said 
Deck.  "  I  will  go  ahead  again,  and  make  the 
same  signal  for  you  to  advance." 

"But  you  expect  there  will  be  a  fight,  don't 
you,  Deck  ?  "  asked  the  lieutenant. 

"There  will  be  if  Captain  Dingfield  don't  run 
away  by  a  road  I  believe  extends  through  the  val- 
ley. I  think  the  captain  of  the  Rangers  is  wait- 
ing  for  Captain  Gordon  to  come  upon  him  in 
this  place.  I  will  keep  a  lookout  for  our  men," 
replied  Deck,  as  he  rode  up  the  hill  again. 

The  private  was  a  very  enthusiastic  soldier ;  and 
he  thought  it  would  be  a  capital  idea  to  bag  the 
Rangers,  and  make  prisoners  of  the  whole  com- 
pany. It  would  be  a  feather  in  Tom  Belthorpe's 
cap,  and  he  would  have  been  glad  to  place  it 
there.  He  hitched  his  horse  again,  and  then 
climbed  a  tree.  Some  of  the  hills  in  the  vicinity 
wer&  cultivated,  and  some  were  not.  ^rom  his 
elevated  perch  he  discovered  a  farmhouse  on  the 
road,  of  whose  existence  he  had  not  before  been 
confident.     He  had  no  doubt  of  the  fact  now. 

There  was  a  cornfield  on  the  left  of  the  road 


314  IN   THE   SADDLE 

where  he  whs,  but  at  some  distance  from  it.  Be- 
tween this  tilled  land  and  the  hill  road  was  a 
considerable  extent  of  wild  land,  covered  with 
hillocks,  and  the  whole  of  it  overgrown  with 
small  trees  and  bushes.  Near  the  place  where 
the  platoon  had  halted,  Deck  perceived  a  prac- 
ticable passage  through  the  tanglewood ;  and  he 
went  down  the  tree  in  a  desperate  hurry,  to  the 
imminent  peril  of  his  limbs,  though  he  reached 
the  ground  in  safety. 

A  glance  at  the  summit  of  the  third  hill  assured 
him  that  Captain  Gordon  was  not  yet  in  sight." 
Slinging  his  carbine,  and  buckling  on  his  belt,  he 
hastened  to  the  lieutenant,  and,  without  any  un- 
necessary manifestations  of  deference,  stated  the 
plan  he  had  brewed  in  the  top  of  the  tree. 

"  I  should  like  to  see  the  whole  of  that  com- 
pany bagged,  Tom,"  said  he,  as  he  led  the  way  to 
the  opening  he  had  seen.  "  I  should  like  to  see 
you  do  it.  I  am  only  afraid  Dingfield  will  escape 
by  that  road,  and  I  should  like  to  have  you  block 
his  way  in  that  direction." 

"  But  if  we  shut  up  that  road  against  him,  we 
shall  leave  the  hill  road  open  to  him,"  replied 
Tom. 


£.*  .....Si*-..  *.-,;.w;'.   -""Sf?;   Si-^g^" 


"  What  are  you  uns  doing  here  ! " 


Page  317. 


SUNDRY  FLANK  MOVEMENTS  ARRANGED   315 

Deck  bit  his  lip,  for  he  had  not  thought  of  this ; 
for  he  was  not  a  full-fledged  strategist  any  more 
than  his  officer. 

"  You  are  right,  Tom ;  and  that  is  the  end  of 
my  scheme,"  added  Deck. 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it.  Deck.  Why  not  compromise 
on  your  idea ;  send  half  our  force  across  the  corn- 
field, and  leave  the  other  half  to  take  care  of 
this  road?  I  like  that  idea,"  said  Tom  with 
enthusiasm. 

"  You  would  have  but  twenty-five  men  to  hold 
this  road  against  the  whole  of  Dino-lield's  com- 
pany,"  said  Deck. 

"But  we  don't  intend  to  move  till  Captain 
Gordon  is  here  to  take  a  hand  in  the  game,"  an- 
swered Tom.  "  You  will  go  with  Sergeant  Fronk- 
lyn  to  the  cross-road,  and  I  will  stay  here.  As 
soon  as  I  see  the  rest  of  our  company  coming 
down  the  hill,  I  will  strike  the  enemy  in  the 
rear,  while  the  captain  goes  in  on  the  front.  You 
will  sail  in  from  the  by-road  as  soon  as  you  hear 
the  firing.  Deck.  That  is  fixed.  Now  have  defer- 
ence enough  for  your  officer  to  hold  your  tongue, 
and  obey  your  orders." 

"  I  am  as  dumb  as  a  dead  horse,"  replied  Deck. 


316  IN   THE   SADDLE 

Both  of  them  were  laughing;  and  Deck  has- 
tened to  a  place  where  he  could  see  over  the 
crest  of  the  hill,  while  the  lieutenant  divided  his 
force  for  the  two  undertakings.  In  a  few  mo- 
ments all  was  ready,  and  Tom  joined  his  friend. 

"  It  is  time  we  were  moving,"  said  Deck. 

"  All  is  ready  for  you ;  and  Fronklyn  will  take 
counsel  of  you  when  necessary,"  replied  the  lieu- 
tenant. 

"  Don't  shovv^  yourself  on  the  top  of  the  hill, 
Tom;  for  that  might  let  the  cat  out  of  the  bag," 
added  Deck. 

The  scout,  as  Deck  considered  himself  for  the 
present,  joined  the  detachment  detailed  for  the  by- 
road, and  led  them  into  the  w41d  region,  Fronklyn 
remaining  some  distance  behind  him.  The  enemy 
were  in  a  deep  hollow,  and  the  guide  soon  assured 
himself  that  the  detachment  could  be  neither  seen 
nor  heard  by  them.  The  sergeant  advanced  in  re- 
sponse to  his  signals.  A  spur  of  the  hill  con- 
cealed them,  and  they  galloped  across  the  field, 
from  which  the  crop  had  been  harvested.  He 
guided  the  force  to  a  point  beyond  the  farmer's 
house.  Leaving  the  sergeant  and  his  men  where 
the  buildings  shut  off  the  view  of  the  hill  road, 


SUNDRY  FLANK  MOVEMENTS  ARRANGED   317 

Deck  rode  cautiously  to  the  other  side  of  the 
house. 

"What  you  uns  doin'  here?  "  asked  the  farmer, 
showing  himself  from  behind  his  barn. 

"We  are  attending  to  our  own  business,  and  it 
wouldn't  be  a  bad  idea  for  you  to  do  the  same," 
replied  Deck,  who  did  not  like  the  looks  of  the 
man. 

"  I  reckon  you  uns  is  Confedrits,"  he  added. 

"  You  are  out  of  your  reckoning." 

"  There's  some  more  on  'em  over  to  the  brook. 
I  reckon  I'll  go  over,  and  let  'em  know  you're 
here,"  suggested  the  farmer. 

"  If  you  do,  you  will  get  a  bit  of  lead  through 
your  upper  story,"  replied  Deck,  as  he  rode  on. 

He  had  hardly  started  his  horse  before  a  volley 
was  heard  in  the  direction  of  the  hill  road. 


318  IN   THE   SADDLE 


CHAPTER     XXVI 

THE  enemy's  battle  WITH  THE  MUD 

The  sound  of  the  volley  did  not  come  from  the 
top  of  the  hill,  and  Captain  Gordon  would  not 
have  been  so  simple  as  to  waste  the  powder  and 
balls  in  the  carbines  of  his  men  at  an  imprac- 
ticable distance  fi-om  the  object  of  his  attack. 
Lieutenant  Belthorpe  must  have  seen  his  force  as 
soon  as  he  reached  the  top  of  the  hill ;  and  no 
doubt  he  had  hurried  to  join  in  the  attack  at  the 
right  moment,  so  that  it  could  be  made  in  the 
front  and  rear  at  the  same  time. 

But  plans  do  not  always  work  precisely  as  they 
are  arranged  beforehand.  Deck  turned  his  steed 
as  soon  as  he  heard  the  volley,  and  hastened  back 
to  notify  the  sergeant;  but  Fronklyn  had  heard 
the  discharge,  and  marched  on  the  instant.  Foi- 
a  non-commissioned  officer,  he  was  decidedly  a 
man  of  parts,  though  he  had  not  been  in  a  fight 
till  that  day. 


THE   enemy's    battle   WITH    THE    MUD      319 

"  Hurry  up,  Sergeant !  I  tliink  we  shall  have 
s^'arm  work  over  on  the  hill  road  as  soon  as  we 
can  reach  it.  They  are  firing  lively  now  on  both 
hills,"  said  Deck,  as  he  took  his  place  by  the  side 
of  the  officer. 

"  We  are  all  ready  for  it ;  and  the  men  were 
as  mad  as  a  bull  in  a  swarm  of  hornets  as  the 
recall  was  sounded  back  there  a  while  ago,  when 
they  were  licking  the  enemy  out  of  his  boots," 
replied  Fronkljai. 

"  They  are  likely  to  get  enough  of  it  now," 
added  Deck,  as  they  galloped  forward  at  the 
best  speed  they  could  get  out  of  the  horses. 

But  the  firing  suddenly  ceased,  and  there  was 
a  noise  ahead  other  than  the  sounds  of  battle, 
which  attracted  the  attention  ol  Deck  and  the 
sergeant.  It  was  the  clang  of  sabres  and  the 
rattle  of  accoutrements,  and  the  sounds  came 
from  a  less  distance  than  to  the  hill  road. 

"  What  does  this  mean  ? "  asked  Deck,  as  he 
reined  in  his  horse.  "  Halt  your  men  here  !  " 
he  added,  as  he  obtained  a  full  view  ahead. 

Fronklyn  promptly  accepted  the  suggestion, 
and  gave  the  order ;  but  he  did  not  understand 
the   reason   for   makino-   it.      The    cross-road   ex- 


320  IN   THE   SADDLE 

tended  through  the  wild  region  over  which  the 
detachment  had  passed  farther  up  the  hill.  In 
this  part  of  it  the  surface  was  more  irregular 
than  above ;  on  the  left  was  a  meadow,  through 
which  flowed  the  brook  that  crossed  the  main 
road.  Just  ahead  of  the  force  the  road  wound 
throug-h  a  narrow  pass,  between  lofty  pinnacles 
of  rock. 

From  a  point  in  the  road  Deck  had  obtained 
a  glance  across  the  meadow  at  tlie  cross-road 
near  the  main  highway.  There  he  saw  the 
Rangers  retreating  vigorously,  and  coming  di- 
rectly towards  him.  He  could  not  quite  under- 
stand this  change  in  the  programme,  as  laid  down 
by  Lieutenant  Belthorpe  and  himself.  But  it 
did  not  take  him  long  to  explain  the  situation 
to  his  own  satisfaction,  whether  correctly  or 
not. 

Captain  Gordon's  men  had  made  the  attack 
with  a  volley  from  the  carbines.  As  soon  as 
Tom  Belthorpe  heard  the  report,  he  dashed  down 
the  hill  to  have  a  finger  in  the  pie ;  for  his  men 
were  eager  for  the  affray.  Captain  Dingfield 
had  seen  them  coming,  and  probably  mistook  the 
force   for  a   much  larger  one,  and    ordered  a   re- 


THE    enemy's    battle   WITH    THE    MUD      321 

treat  by  the  cross-road.  Doubtless  he  had  chosen 
to  await  the  attack  of  Captain  Gordon  in  this 
locality  on  account  of  this  convenient  outlet. 
The  enemy  had  not  waited  for  a  charge,  and 
neither  of  the  detachments  from  the  two  hills 
had  reached  the  brook. 

Deck  hurriedly  stated  the  situation  to  Sergeant 
Fronklyn.  Then  he  pointed  out  the  narroAv  pass 
in  the  road,  which  would  conceal  the  men  for 
a  few  moments.  He  advised  him  to  advance  to 
it,  and  then  fall  upon  the  head  of  the  column  as 
it  entered  the  narrow  passage.  The  officer  gave 
the  order  to  advance,  and  with  it  a  few  ringing 
words  of  encouragement.  Fronklyn  placed  him- 
self at  the  head  of  his  men,  with  Deck  near 
him,  and  they  dashed  into  the  pass  at  a  break- 
neck speed.  The  enemy  had  not  yet  reached 
the  narrow  defile. 

The  troopers  had  their  carbines  all  ready  for 
use,  and  the  sergeant  halted  them  at  a  point  where 
they  could  see  the  Rangers  as  they  approached. 
At  the  right  moment  he  gave  the  command  to 
fire,  and  the  report  was  the  first  intimation  to 
Captain  Dingfield  that  an  enemy  was  in  front 
of  him.     As  soon  as  the  Union  soldiers  had  dis- 


322  IN   THE   SADDLE 

charged  their  pieces,  they  were  ordered  to  sling 
tlieir  carbines,  and  draw  their  sabres. 

"  To  the  charge  !     March  !  "  shouted  Fronklyn. 

The  volley  had  been  a  surprise  to  the  Rangers, 
and  they  were  evidently  staggered  as  some  of 
their  saddles  were  emptied.  Captain  Dingfield 
was  not  at  the  front  of  his  company  ;  for  the 
danger  was  supposed  to  be  in  the  rear,  and  he 
was  as  brave  a  man  as  ever  sat  on  a  horse.  Of 
course  he  could  form  no  idea  of  the  strength 
of  the  force  in  front  of  him,  and  he  must  have 
realized  that  he  had  fallen  into  a  trap.  If  he 
had  not  been  prudent  before,  he  was  so  now, 
for  the  bugler  immediately  sounded  the  recall. 

Sergeant  Fronklyn  did  not  wait  to  see  what 
Captain  Dingfield  would  do,  or  where  he  would 
retreat.  He  led  his  men  forward,  and  they 
charged  furiously  upon  what  had  been  the  right 
of  the  column.  The  Rangers  defended  them- 
selves with  viffor  and  determination  for  a  few 
minutes,  and  the  accounts  of  three  of  them  M'ere 
closed  for  this  world.  The  next  thing  that  Deck 
saw,  for  he  made  a  business  of  knowing  all  that 
was  going  on  around  him,  was  a  column  of  cav- 
alry fleeing  across  the  meadow. 


THE    enemy's    battle  WITH    THE    MUD      323 

The  captain  of  the  Rangers,  from  his  position 
near  the  rear,  had  evidently  found  a  means  of 
escape.  Deck  fought  with  his  sabre  as  long  as 
there  was  one  of  the  enemy  near  him ;  hut  as 
fast  as  the  Texans  could  get  out  of  the  melee 
they  fled  to  the  rear.  The  pass  \\'as  so  narrow 
that  the  Union  troopera,  few  as  there  were  of 
them  on  the  by-road,  had  not  room  enough  to 
do  themselves  justice.  But  Fronklyn  urged  them 
on,  and  drove  them  before  him,  till  he  heard  the 
clashing  of  arms  in  front  of  him. 

Both'Captain  Gordon  and  Lieutenant  Belthorpe 
dashed  into  the  narrow  road,  and  followed  up 
the  enemy,  till  the  last  of  them  had  taken  to  the 
meadow.  When  the  ground  was  examined  later, 
it  was  found  that  there  was  only  one  narrow  cause- 
way by  which  the  descent  to  the  low  ground 
could  be  made;  and  the  Rangers  covered  and 
defended  this  pass  till  all  of  their  number  had 
left  the  road.  It  was  in  vain  that  the  fresh 
troopers  pressed  forward,  from  the  hill  road,  for 
the  way  Avas  blocked  against  them.  In  the  in- 
ability of  the  captain  and  the  lieutenant  to  "bring 
their  numbers  to  bear,  the  combat  was  on  equal 
terms. 


324  •  IN   THE   SADDLE 

The  Rangers  defended  themselves  bravely  and 
skilfully.  There  were  a  number  of  hand-to-hand 
struggles  with  which  there  was  no  space  for  the 
interference  of  others.  But  it  looked  as  though 
tlie  Texans  had  leaped  from  the  frying-pan  into 
the  fire  ;  for  they  had  gone  out  but  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  by-road  before  their  horses  began 
to  mire ;  for  the  ground  proved  to  be  very  soft. 
Several  of  the  Texans  were  obliged  to  dismount, 
and  pull  their  steeds  out  of  the  mud. 

Captain  Gordon  had  pressed  forward,  and  en- 
gaged the  rear  of  the  retreating  column ;  and  he 
was  about  to  order  a  pursuit,  when  he  discovered 
the  enemy  was  sinking  in  the  mire,  and  that 
the  meadow  was  no  place  for  horses.  It  was 
located  all  along  the  wild  region ;  and,  doubtless, 
some  of  those  sink-holes  and  caverns  which  abound 
in  this  part  of  the  State  existed  in  this  section  of 
wild  land.  But  the  captain  was  not  willing  to 
permit  the  escape  of  the  enemy. 

Deck  Lyon  was  reasonable  enough  to  abandon 
the  idea  of  "  bagging  the  game  ;  "  for  the  Rangers 
could  now  hardly  be  regarded  as  an  organized 
military  company.  The  meadow  proved  to  be 
nothing   but  a   quagmire,  though  the  farmer  ap- 


THE    enemy's    battle  WITH    THE    MUD      o2o 

peared  to  get  the  hay  from  it,  as  there  were 
two  stacks  of  it  on  the  fj^ld ;  but  he  had  to 
take  the  occasion  when  the  ground  was  frozen 
to  obtain  his  crop.  By  this  time  the  Texans 
were  scattered  all  over  the  meadow,  wandering 
about  in  search  of  more  solid  ground. 

It  would  have  been  easy  enough  to  shoot  down 
the  whole  of  them  ;  but  Captain  Gordon  was  too 
chivalrous  a  man  to  murder  the  defenceless  fel- 
lows. A  few  of  them  had  crossed  the  brook,  and 
were  ascending  the  hill  on  the  other  side.  A 
number  of  them  were  making  a  road  of  the 
bottom  of  the  little  stream,  which  seemed  to 
be  composed  of  sand  washed  in  from  the  hills. 

The  first  company  were  at  ease  all  along  the 
by-road,  watching  the  movements  and  the  strug- 
gles of  the  enemy  ;  and  no  doubt  Captain  Ding- 
field  wished  he  had  fought  it  out,  or  surrendered 
on  the  hard  ground.  The  night  was  coming  on  ; 
and  even  if  the  Texans  extricated  themselves 
from  their  pitiable  condition,  they  must  be  so 
demoralized  that  they  could  do  no  further  mis- 
chief till  they  had  rested  and  recruited  from  the 
effects  of  their  battle  with  the  mud. 

"What  are  them  men  doin'  in  there?"  asked 


326  IN    THE    SADDLE 

the  farmer,  who  wandered  as  far  as  the  causeway, 
when  it  was  safe  to  c^o  so,  and  there  encountered 
Deck,  whom  he  had  met  before. 

"  They  are  trying  to  get  out,"  replied  Private 
Lj^on. 

"  They  can't  do  it  !  "  exclaimed  the  native, 
who  indulged  in  much  profane  speech.  "  They'll 
make  a  cemetry  of  the  whole  meddei".  It's 
nothin'  but  muck  in  there  till  you  git  to  the 
bottom  on't,  and  that's  where  them  fellers  will 
go.  I  had  a  colt  git  in  there,  and  all  on  us 
couldn't  git  him  out ;  and  I  reckon  his  carcass 
is  lyin'  on  the  bottom  now.  They've  sp'ilt  my 
medder,"  continued  the  farmer;  and  he  heaped 
curses  on  the  unfortunate  troopers,  who  were 
tearing  up  the  soft  sod  at  a  fearful  rate. 

The  native  had  picked  up  the  three  horses  of 
the  troopers  who  had  been  killed  in  the  affray, 
and  they  were  some  compensation  for  the  damage 
done  him  in  the  meadow,  which  looked  as  though 
it  had  been  ploughed  up. 

"  Isn't  there  any  way  for  those  men  to  get  out 
of  that  quagmire  ?  "  asked  Captain  Gordon,  as  he 
encountered  the  farmer. 

"  I  don't  know  o'  none,"  replied  the  man  in  a 


THE   enemy's    battle    WITH    THE    MUD       327 

surly  tone.  "  If  they  was  only  Yankees,  Fd  like 
it  better." 

"  I  like  it  better  as  it  is,"  replied  the  captain. 

He  knew  of  no  way  to  extricate  the  troopers 
from  their  plight.  It  was  the  dry  season  of  the 
year,  and  probably  there  was  less  water  and  less 
mud  than  in  the  wet  season.  The  bodies  of  the 
horses  seemed  to  be  resting  on  the  sod,  with  their 
legs  wholly  plunged  in  the  soft  soil.  The  riders 
had  dismounted,  and  attacked  two  stacks  of  hay 
on  the  field,  and  were  placing  it  in  front  of  their 
animals.  It  afforded  a  better  foundation  for  them 
than  the  oozy  turf;  and  a  couple  of  them  Avere 
already  standing  on  their  legs. 

The  darkness  was  gathering  rapidly,  and  Cap- 
tain Gordon  gave  the  order  for  his  men  to  form 
in  column;  and  then  he  marched  them  out  to 
the  hill  road.  He  was  satisfied  that  tlie  Texans 
would  escape  from  their  miserable  plight,  though 
it  might  require  many  hours  for  them  to  accom- 
plish it.  They  had  already  begun  to  build  a 
sort  of  causeway  of  the  hay,  to  connect  witli 
the  solid  one  by  which  they  had  fled  from  the 
fight.  The  hay  was  of  a  coarse  quality, 
abundantly   mixed  with  weeds   and   bushes,  and 


S28  IN   THE    SADDLE 

it  appeared  to  be  substantial  enougli  to  support 
the  horses. 

It  was  evident  to  the  captain  that  the  entire 
force  of  the  enemy  coukl  be  easily  captured  as 
they  came  off  the  meadow ;  but  it  might  require 
the  whole  night  to  secure  them.  The  first 
company,  now  united,  marched  to  the  hill 
road,  and  halted  in  a  field  which  had  been 
selected  before  for  the  camping-ground.  The  men 
j)roceeded  to  feed  themselves  and  their  horses. 
A  half-dozen  scouts  were  left  on  the  by-road 
•  to  watch  the  mired  Texans.  They  had  built  a 
great  fire  to  afford  them  light,  and  continued 
their  labors. 

A  portion  of  the  field  where  they  had  encamped 
consisted  of  a  grove  of  big  trees,  such  as  the  com- 
pany had  frequently  seen.  Tlie  baggage-train  had 
been  left  at  the  bridge,  and  the  men  had  no  tents, 
but  they  were  provided  with  overcoats  and  blan- 
kets; and  thus  protected  from  the  cold  of  the 
chill  night,  it  was  not  accounted  a  hardship  to 
sleep  on  the  ground.  Sentinels  surrounded  thj 
camp,  and  two  scouts  had  been  sent  out  in  each 
direction  on  the  hill  road. 

"  Scouts  coming^  in  from  both  wavs ! "  shouted 


THE    enemy's    battle   WITH    THE    MUD       329 

the  sentinels  in  the  road;  and  the  word  was  car- 
ried to  the  guard  quarters. 

Tlie  captain  was  immediately  informed.  As 
Deck  happened  to  be  in  the  detail  for  guard 
duty,  he  had  been  stationed  in  the  road,  and  it 
was  his  voice  wliich  first  announced  the  return 
of  the  scouts.  Captain  Gordon,  who  had  stretched 
himself  under  a  tree  for  a  nap,  hastened  to  the 
road  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  the  alarm. 

"Where  are  the  scouts.  Deck?"  he  asked,  as  he 
confronted  the  sentinel  in  the  road. 

"  They  have  not  got  here  yet,"  replied  Deck,  as 
he  saluted  the  captain.  "I  saw  them  at  the  top 
of  the  hills,  coming  in  at  full  speed." 

"  But  there  is  no  enemy  in  this  vicinit}^,  except 
the  Texans  in  the  quagmire, "  added  the  captain. 

"•I  know  of  none.  Captain." 

The  two  scouts  came  in  almost  at  the  same 
moment,  before  the  captain  and  the  private  could 
discuss  tlie  situation,  and  reported  a  detachment 
of  cavalry  approaching  from  either  direction. 


380  IN   THE   SADDLE 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

AT   THE   CAMP-FIRE   NEAR   THE   ROAD 

As  Captain  Gordon  suggested,  there  was  no 
enemy  in  the  vicinity  with  the  exception  of  the 
Texan  Rangers,  half  buried  in  the  mud.  The 
approach  of  cavalry  from  both  directions,  and  in 
the  darkness,  was  rather  an  alarming  announce- 
ment; and  if  the  scouts  had  not  been  close  by,  he 
would  have  ordered  the  long  roll,  and  prepared 
for  defence.  The  camp-fires  Avere  blazing  near 
the  road,  and  a  weird  light  was  cast  upon  the 
scene. 

"■  Well,  Beck,  what  is  your  news  ?  "  demanded 
the  captain,  as  the  scout  saluted  him. 

"A  detachment  of  cavalry  was  coming  up 
when  I  left  the  top  of  the  hill,''  replied  the 
trooper. 

"  What  were  they  ?  "  demanded  the  captain 
impatiently. 

"I  don't  know,  Captain;   we   could  not  make 


AT   THE   CAMP-FIRE   NEAR    THE   ROAD       331 

them  out  in  the  darkness,"  rei^lied  the  scout;  and 
he  was  the  one  who  came  from  the  south. 

"  How  many  were  there  of  them  ?  " 

"We  looked  at  them  as  they  came  down  tlie 
hill,  and  Wilder  and  I  reckoned  there  were  about 
fifty  of  them.  They  had  a  wagon  train  behind 
them." 

"  Very  well,  Beck.  What  have  you  to  say,  Lay- 
der  ? "  asked  Captain  Gordon,  turning  to  the 
scout  from  the  north. 

"  My  report  is  just  about  the  same  as  Beck's  ; 
though  the  detachment  comes  from  the  other  way. 
But  they  didn't  have  no  baggage-train." 

"  Did  you  make  out  how  many  there  were, 
Layder  ?  " 

"  We  made  out  about  forty  of  'em.  Captain ;  we 
could  not  see  very  well,  and  there  may  have  been 
more  of  'em." 

"Return  to  your  mates,  and  ascertain,  if  you 
can,  who  and  what  they  are,"  added  Captain 
Gordon. 

Deck  Lyon  had  something  to  say,  but  he  did 
not  feel  like  saying  it.  He  was  perfectly  satisfied 
that  there  would  be  no  figliting  Avith  the  approach- 
ing   detachments.     He   had    been  reasoning    over 


332  IN   THE   SADDLE 

the  situation,  and  lie  had  formed  a  decided  opin- 
ion. He  had  heard  the  train  on  the  raihoad,  both 
when  it  went  down  and  M'hen  it  returned  about 
dark ;  but  he  knew  nothing  about  the  events 
which  had  transpired  at  tlie  camp  by  the 
bridge.  The  only  fact  that  bothered  hiui  was 
that  the  detachment  from  the  south  had  a  bag- 
gage-train. 

"  Well,  Deck,  what  do  you  make  of  it  ?  "  asked 
Captain  Gordon,  as  he  halted  in  front  of  the 
sentinel. 

"  The  two  detachments  are  the  second  company 
of  Riverlawn  Cavalry,"  replied  Deck  without  any 
hesitation ;  for  this  was  the  decided  opinion  he  had 
reached. 

"•  What  makes  you  think  so.  Deck  ?  "  asked  the 
cajitain  with  a  smile. 

"Except  the  Texans  in  the  mud,  there  is  no 
other  cavalry  in  these  parts.  That's  the  first 
reason.  The  second  is,  that  Major  Lyon  sent  half 
the  first  company  under  Lieutenant  Beltliorpe  up 
the  railroad,  and  he  can  have  heard  nothing  from 
this  force  since ;  and  he  would  naturally  get  a 
little  anxious  about  it.  The  third  reason  is,  that 
he  sent  3'ou  and  the  rest  of  the  first  company  in 


AT   THE   CAMP-FIRE   NEAR   THE  EOAD      ooo 

pursuit  of  the  Texans.  If  you  have  not  sent  any 
messenger  to  him,  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  the  major 
had  worried  a  little  about  you,  Captain,"  said 
Deck. 

"  I  sent  no  messenger  to  him  ;  I  could  not  spare 
a  single  man,  for  I  was  liable  to  meet  the  whole 
company  of  Texans,"  added  the  captain.  "But  I 
think  you  are  right,  and  the  same  suggestions 
came  to  my  mind." 

Half  an  hour  later  the  same  scouts  returned  to 
the  camp,  and  reported  that  the  captain  and  Deck 
were  correct  in  their  suppositions.  In  a  quarter 
of  an  hour  more  tlie  second  company  rode  into 
the  camp.  Major  Lyon  was  with  the  detachment 
from  tlie  south.  The  moment  he  saw  Deck,  he 
leaped  from  his  horse  as  lightly  as  his  son  could 
have  done  it,  and  grasped  both  of  the  hands  of 
the  sentinel. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you  again,  Dexter ! "  ex- 
claimed the  father.  "  I  have  had  a  deal  of  woriy 
over  your  disappearance,  and  I  was  afraid  I  should 
have  to  send  bad  news  to  your  mother  and  your 
sister." 

"  No  use  of  wori-ying  about  me,  father,"  replied 
Deck,  still  holding  the   hand   of   the   major.     "I 


334  IN   THE   SADDLE 

have  had  considerable  experience  to-day,  but  I 
have  worked  through  it  all." 

"  But  what  became  of  j^ou  ?  "  asked  the  anxious 
father, 

"  I  was  captured  by  the  bridge-burners,  and  I 
was  only  sorry  that  I  could  not  prevent  them  from 
setting  the  bridge  afire.  I  suppose  it  was  all  burnt 
up,  and  your  business  here  is  all  a  failure." 

"  Not  at  all,  ray  son ;  the  bridge  was  hardly 
damaged  at  all,  and  a  train  has  been  over  it  twice 
since  they  tried  to  burn  it.  But  I  will  see  you 
later,"  added  the  major,  as  he  pressed  the  hand 
of  his  son  again. 

Captain  Gordon  was  considerate  enough  to 
relieve  the  sentinel  from  duty,  and  he  went 
with  his  father  to  the  nearest  camp-fire.  The 
wagons  were  driven  into  the  field,  and  a  few 
minutes  later  the  headquarters  tent  was  pitched. 
Stools  were  placed  before  the  fire,  and  all  the 
commissioned  officers  of  both  companies  were 
sent  for.  It  looked  like  a  council  of  war, 
though  the  object  of  the  meeting  was  to  re- 
ceive the  reports  of  the  officers.  For  the  first 
time  since  the  arrival  of  the  squadron,  the  two 
companies  were  united. 


AT   THE   CAMP-FIRE  NEAR   THE   ROAD      335 

Captain  Gordon,  as  the  senior,  was  called  upon 
first  for  his  report;  and  he  recited  it  at  length, 
ending  with  the  skirmish  at  the  cross-roads  near 
the  camp.  Lieutenant  Belthorpe  described  his 
wanderings  with  half  the  company,  including  his 
brief  engagement  with  the  Rangers. 

"  I  feel  as  though  I  should  be  mean  if  I  failed 
to  inform  the  officers  of  the  squadron  how  much 
service  Deck  Lyon  has  rendered  to  me  since  I 
found  him  on  the  road,"  said  Tom.  "We  are 
not  on  parade  just  now,  and  I  suppose  I  may 
say  it." 

"  Dry  up,  Tom  ! "  exclaimed  Deck,  loud  enough 
to  be  heard  by  the  speaker,  though  hardly  by  the 
others. 

"  Not  just  yet.  Lieutenant,"  interposed  the 
major.  "I  don't  understand  how  you  happened 
to  meet  Dexter  in  the  road ;  for  the  last  he 
told  me  of  himself  was  that  he  was  taken  pris- 
oner by  the  enemy.  I  should  like  to  hear  his 
narrative  first,  for  it  may  throw  some  light  on 
other  matters." 

Deck  was  admonished  by  his  father  to  tell  the 
whole  story,  without  any  omissions ;  and  he  related 
his   adventure   from   the   time  he   had  fu'st  seen 


336  IN   THE   SADDLE 

Brown  Kipps.  He  explained  how  he  had  been 
duped  by  that  worthy  Tennesseean,  and  in  what 
manner  he  had  been  tempted  to  shoot  his  four 
custodians  through  the  back  of  the  head. 

"I  hope  you  didn't  do  it,  Dexter,"  interposed 
his  father,  before  he  had  come  to  the  sequel  of  the 
affair. 

"  I  did  not,  father ;  for  I  feared  the  deed  would 
haunt  me  to  the  last  day  of  my  life,  be  it  long 
or  short,"  replied  Deck.  "  It  looked  like  cold- 
blooded murder  to  me." 

The  assembled  officers  applauded  him  vigor- 
ously with  their  hands;  and  the  young  soldier 
was  glad  to  receive  this  testimonial  of  his  officers, 
for  to  him  it  seemed  to  settle  the  moral  question 
involved  in  his  action. 

"I  do  not  believe  in  carrying  on  the  war  upon 
peace  principles ;  but  I  do  believe  that  soldiers 
should  not  become  assassins,"  added  the  major. 

The  officers  likewise  applauded  this  sentiment 
of  their  commander. 

"  We  are  ready  to  hear  you  now,  Lieutenant 
Belthorpe,  as  I  know  how  Dexter  came  into  your 
path.  It  is  important  to  remember  that  the 
bridge-burners,  with  their  wagon  and  supplies  of 


AT  THE  CASIP-riilE  Is  EAR  THE  EOAD      337 

combustibles,  proceeded  to  the  north  by  the  hill 
road.     Go  on,  Lieutenant." 

Tom  Belthorpe  described  the  action  with  half 
the  Rangers  under  Lieutenant  Redway,  and  the 
interposition  of  Deck  when  he  discovered  the  ap- 
proach of  the  other  half  of  the  Rangers.  He  had 
retreated  rather  against  his  will  by  Deck's  advice. 

"I  think  his  advice  was  good,  if  he  is  my 
son,"  added  the  major. 

"  No  doubt  of  it ;  you  would  have  been  pinched 
between  the  two  portions  of  the  Confederate  force, 
and  outnumbered  nearly  two  to  one,"  added  Cap- 
tain Gordon. 

"I  was  quite  satisfied  in  regard  to  the  wisdom 
of  the  advice,  badly  as  we  desired  to  fight  out  the 
action,  as  soon  as  I  had  a  chance  to  think  of  it," 
continued  Tom.  "Then  Deck  did  a  very  neat 
piece  of  spy-work,  which  enabled  us  to  follow  the 
enemy  without  being  seen  or  heard.  The  whole 
of  the  Rangers  had  come  together,  and  they  out- 
numbered Captain  Gordon's  command.  It  was 
Deck's  suggestion  to  strike  across  lots,  and  reach 
the  by-road;  but  I  did  not  follow  it  in  full,  and 
divided  my  force,  so  that  the  Texans  should  not 
retreat  by  the  way  we  came." 


338  IN  THE   SADDLE 

"  And  when  you  came  down  the  hill  with 
hardly  more  than  twenty  men,  the  Texans  took 
fright,  and  retreated  up  that  by-road,  where  they 
were  received  by  Sergeant  Fronklyn,"  added  Cap- 
tain Gordon.  "This  caused  them  to  seek  a  new 
avenue  of  escape ;  and  they  plunged  into  the 
quagmire,  where  they  are  now." 

"  What  you  say  of  Deck  leads  me  to  indorse  his 
conduct  in  the  action  on  the  east  road  this  morn- 
ing," said  Captain  Truman,  who  had  said  nothing 
before;  and  he  proceeded  to  describe  what  the 
young  man  had  done  in  that  affair. 

"  Pleasant  as  it  is  to  hear  such  excellent  re- 
ports of  the  behavior  of  my  son,  I  must  add 
that  his  brother  has  behaved  equally  well,  though 
he  has  not  had  the  opportunity  to  distinguish  him- 
self except  in  doing  his  simple  duty,"  said  the 
major.  "But  I  have  more  important  business 
than  this,  for  I  received  new  orders  before  I 
left  the  camp  at  the  bridge.  I  am  required  to 
assure  the  safe  passage  of  trains  on  the  railroad 
first;  but  it  appears  that  the  State  has  been  in- 
vaded in  the  south-east,  or  is  liable  to  further 
invasion  in  that  direction. 

"  The  worst  feature  of  this  aspect  of  the  situ- 


AT  THE  CAMP-FIEE  NEAR  THE  EOAD      339 

ation  is  that  hordes  of  guerillas  have  been  turned 
loose  upon  us;  and  even  now  they  are  engaged 
in  their  work  of  plundering  and  destroying  the 
property  of  Union  men,  not  to  speak  of  the 
outrages  committed  upon  the  citizens.  These 
guerillas,  or  some  of  them,  take  the  name  of 
'  Partisan  Rangers.'  Indiana  and  Ohio  troops 
are  moving  in  the  direction  mentioned;  but  the 
enemy  are  still  busy  there.  '  The  Confederate 
cavalry,'  "  continued  the  commander,  reading  from 
a  letter  he  had  taken  from  his  pocket,  " '  scoured 
the  country  in  the  vicinity  of  their  camp,  arrested 
prominent  Union  men,  and  destroyed  their  prop- 
erty.' This  is  the  situation  for  a  hundred  miles 
east  of  us ;  and  I  am  ordered  to  check  these  raids 
of  the  guerillas  with  all  my  available  force. 

"  I  am  ordered  to  move  without  any  unneces- 
sary delay,  and  I  shall  march  to-morrow  morning. 
I  expect  a  company  of  Union  Home  Guards  here 
by  to-morrow ;  and  I  shall  be  obliged  to  leave 
Captain  Truman  and  half  his  company ;  but  as 
soon  as  he  is  relieved  by  the  infantry  company, 
he  will  rejoin  the  squadron." 

"We  have  been  unable  to  make  out  that  there 
is   any   Confederate   force   in  this    vicinity,  with 


340  IN  THE   SADDLE 

the  exception  of  the  Rangers  who  are  just  now 
struggling  with  the  mud  in  the  bog  meadow  near 
us,"  said  Captain  Gordon. 

"How  many  of  them  are  there?"  asked  the  major. 

"  I  am  sure  I  don't  know,"  replied  the  captain. 

"I  counted  eighty-one  of  them,  including  Cap- 
tain Dingfield ;  but  some  few  of  them  had  escaped 
through  the  mud  to  the  hill  on  the  other  side. 
of  the  bog,"  said  Deck,  who  was  always  doing 
some  useful  work  when  he  found  a  chance. 

"  As  many  as  that ;  perhaps  half  a  company  is 
not  force  enough  to  leave  with  you,  Captain  Tru- 
man," suggested  the  major. 

"  Quite  enough.  Major  Lyon ;  for  we  should 
have  to  act  mainly  on  the  defensive,"  replied  the 
captain  of  the  second  company.  "  My  men  have 
fought  the  Texans  once  to-day ;  and  though  they 
are  brave  and  daring  fellows,  they  are  not  such 
terrible  bugbears  as  they  have  been  represented 
to  be.  But  infantry  can  guard  the  bridge  better 
than  cavalry." 

"  The  infantry  will  probably  relieve  3'ou  by 
to-morrow.  If  the  Texans,  with  their  bridge- 
burners,  were  out  of  the  way,  I  need  leave  no 
force,"  added  the  major. 


AT  THE   CAMP-FIRE  NEAR  THE  ROAD      341 

"  But  we  can  put  them  out  of  the  way  very 
easily,"  suggested  Captain  Gordon. 

"Do  you  mean  to  shoot  them  down  as  they 
stick  in  the  mud  there  ?  We  are  not  murderers, 
Captain,"  replied  the  major  sternly. 

"  I  meant  nothing  of  the  kind,"  returned  the 
captain  with  a  blush.  "  I  could  have  ordered 
my  men  to  do  that  before  it  appeared  that  the 
action  was  finished." 

"  Pardon  me,  Captain ;  I  know  you  are  not  a 
murderer." 

"  They  are  stuck  fast  there,  eighty-one  of  them, 
according  to  Deck's  figures  ;  and  we  can  make 
prisoners  of  them  as  they  get  out  of  the  bog,  as 
I  think  they  will  before  morning,  for  they  have 
hit  upon  an  effective  plan." 

"  It  would  take  one  of  our  companies  to  cap- 
ture them,  and  to  dispose  of  them  as  prisoners, 
so  that  we  should  gain  nothing,"  replied  the  major, 
vetoing  the  plan  at  once.  "  The  Union  Home 
Guards  may  be  here  early  in  the  morning,  for  they 
liave  had  time  enough  to  make  the  march." 

The  meeting  closed;  and  officers  and  privates 
were  tired  enough  after  the  long  day  to  wrap 
themselves  in  their  blankets  and  sleep. 


342  IN  THE   SADDLE 


CHAPTER   XXVIII 

A  MYSTERIOUS   DISAPPEAEANCE 

The  night  passed  without  any  alarm.  The 
sentinels  were  relieved  at  regular  intervals,  in- 
cluding the  two  who  patrolled  the  by-road.  The 
latter  complained,  when  others  were  put  in  their 
places,  that  they  might  as  well  be  asleep  in  the 
camp,  for  they  could  see  nothing  of  the  Texans. 
There  was  only  one  place  where  they  could  obtain 
a  view  of  them  when  it  was  light  enough  for  them 
to  see  anything. 

The  night  was  unusually  dark,  for  a  heavy  mass 
of  black  clouds  had  rolled  up  from  the  west, 
promising  a  smart  shower.  The  Rangers  had 
extinguished  their  fires  at  an  early  hour  in  the 
evening,  for  what  reason  the  guards  were  unable 
to  determine ;  but  the  fact  Avas  suspicious,  and 
they  redoubled  their  vigilance.  The  last  that  had 
been  seen  of  the  bemired  troopers,  they  were 
building  the  causeway  of  hay  to  unite  with  the 


A  MYSTERIOUS   DISAPPEARANCE  343 

one  of  solid  rocks  and  earth  built  by  the  farmer 
to  obtain  access  to  his  hay-field. 

This  causeway  was  believed  to  be  the  only  pos- 
sible way  to  get  on  or  off  the  meadow.  Captain 
Gordon  had  made  a  survey  of  the  locality  in 
person,  and  had  gone  up  the  road  as  far  as  the 
house  of  the  farmer,  the  only  one  in  the  vicinity. 
He  had  met  the  native  in  his  walk,  and  had  ques- 
tioned him  with  all  the  skill  he  possessed  in  re- 
gard to  the  surroundings ;  for  the  fellow  was  not 
disposed  to  give  any  information.  The  only  state- 
ment of  any  importance  he  could  drag  out  of  him 
was  that  the  causeway  was  the  only  way  by  which 
the  Texans  could  leave  the  meadow.  The  captain 
could  see  none  himself,  though  he  believed  from 
his  manner  that  the  man  was  lying  to  him. 

The  place  looked  as  though  there  had  been  an 
immense  sink-hole  there  at  some  remote  period  in 
the  past,  which  had  been  filled  up  by  the  wash 
from  the  hills  around  it.  This  flow  had  brouglit 
down  quantities  of  dry  leaves  and  other  vegetable 
matter ;  and  this,  with  the  growth  of  rank  grass 
and  weeds  decaying  on  the  spot,  had  formed  what 
is  called  a  bog  in  Ireland,  and  a  peat  meadow  in 
the  Northern  States. 


344  IN  THE   SADDLE 

There  was  fuel  enough  in  it  to  supply  a  village 
for  a  hundred  years ;  but  wood  was  so  plentiful  in 
this  region  that  it  would  not  pay  to  cut,  dry,  and 
carry  it  to  more  solid  ground.  Whether  the  cap- 
tain was  satisfied  or  nor  with  his  investigations, 
he  could  obtain  no  further  information.  The 
meadow  seemed  to  be  surrounded  with  rocky 
formations ;  though  his  knowledge  of  it,  obtained 
in  the  darkness,  was  very  imperfect.  But  he  and 
his  men  had  seen  the  troopers  laying  the  cause- 
way of  hay  to  the  one  of  earth,  as  though  they 
believed  this  was  the  only  avenue  of  escape. 

The  two  sentinels  extended  their  beat  as  far  as 
the  farmer's  house.  After  nine  o'clock  in  the 
evening  its  windows  were  dark,  and  the  people 
within  appeared  to  have  retired.  But  the  big  dog 
of  the  native  did  not  retire  with  the  rest  of  the 
family,  and  he  made  a  rude  attack  upon  the 
guards  every  time  they  approached  the  house. 
About  midnight  he  had  assailed  one  of  the  men 
so  furiously  that  he  was  obliged  to  defend  him- 
self with  his  sabre ;  and  the  brute  was  so  badly 
wounded  that  nothing  more  was  seen  of  him. 
His  dead  body  was  found  the  next  morning  near 
the  house:  and  the  farmer  was  as  furious  as  the 


A  MYSTERIOtrS   DISAPPEARANCE  345 

canine  had  been,  though  he  had  a  proper  respect 
for  carbines  and  sabres. 

When  the  guard  was  relieved  after  midnight, 
all  was  quiet  on  the  meadow,  and  it  was  believed 
that  the  troopers  had  taken  to  their  blankets. 
One  of  the  sentinels  declared  that  he  could  hear 
them  snore ;  but  this  was  doubtless  a  camp-fire 
exaggeration.  ^  They  watched  the  causeway,  as 
they  had  been  instructed  to  do  ;  and  certainly  none 
of  the  Texans  came  out  that  way.  One  of  them 
proposed  to  explore  the  space  between  the  by-road 
and  the  position  of  the  troopers  ;  but  the  other  in- 
sisted that  such  an  enterprise  would  result  in  cer- 
tain death,  for  no  doubt  the  enemy  had  sentinels 
whose  carbines  were  loaded  with  ball  cartridges. 

So  far  as  the  guards  could  report,  there  was 
no  change  at  the  by-road  during  the  night.  The 
headquarters  tent  had  been  pitched,  and  Major 
Lyon  had  been  up  half  the  night  studying  his 
maps,  and  repeatedly  reading  the  written  orders 
he  had  received,  as  well  as  a  mass  of  newspaper 
cuttings  which  had  been  sent  with  them.  The 
latter  were,  for  the  most  part,  accounts  of  outrages 
committed  by  Confederate  cavalry  of  companies  of 
"  Partisan  Rangers,"  and  of  bands  who  were  not 


346  IN  THE   SADDLE 

provided  with  even  the  doubtful  authority  of  the 
insurrectionary  government. 

Before  daylight  in  the  morning  Major  Lyon  was 
on  his  feet ;  for  he  felt  that  he  was  loaded  with  a 
heavy  responsibility.  He  was  charged  with  the 
protection  of  the  railroad  bridges  in  the  vicinity, 
though  he  was  to  be  immediately  relieved  from 
this  duty  to  enable  him  to  assist  with  the  more 
vigor  in  suppressing  the  guerillas  and  other  pred- 
atory bands.  Artie,  now  his  orderly,  slept  in  the 
tent  with  him,  and  he  was  sent  to  have  "  The  As- 
sembly of  Buglers"  sounded;  and  this  is  the  call 
for  the  troopers  to  appear  on  the  parade. 

There  was  a  commotion  at  the  guard  quarters; 
and  before  Artie  had  roused  the  bugler  from  his 
slumbers,  he  was  called  by  the  officer  of  the  day. 
Was  Major  Lyon  awake?  He  was,  for  he  had 
called  his  orderly. 

"  Inform  him  at  once  that  the  sentinel  from  the 
by-road  reports  the  disappearance  of  the  enemy  in 
the  bog,"  said  the  officer. 

As  soon  as  he  received  the  information,  the 
major  hastened  to  the  guard  tent,  where  the  sen- 
tinel who  had  brought  the  news  was  detained. 
The  trooper  repeated  his  information  to  the  com- 


MYSTEEIOUS   DISAPPEARANCE  347 

mander.  It  was  hardly  light  enough  in  the  bog 
to  see  anything,  but  he  and  his  mate  had  satisfied 
themselves  that  the  Rangers  had  all  disappeared ; 
but  of  how  or  where  they  had  made  their  escape 
he  had  no  knowledge. 

"  Did  you  hear  no  noise  of  any  kind  ?  "  asked 
the  major. 

"Nothing  at  all;  it  was  as  still  as  a  tomb  all 
the  time  I  was  on  guard,"  replied  the  sentinel. 
"  We  were  not  sure  they  were  gone  till  we  walked 
out  a  piece  on  the  meadow,  and  found  the  hay,  of 
which  they  had  made  a  road  to  solid  ground;  but 
it  did  not  lead  to  the  causeway." 

"  Where  did  it  lead  ?  "  demanded  the  major. 

"  In  the  direction  of  the  farmer's  house ;  but  we 
did  not  follow  it,  for  it  was  decided  that  I  should 
come  up  to  the  camp  and  report  what  we  had 
found  out." 

"Who  was  with  you,  More?"  asked  the  officer 
of  the  guard. 

"  Bunch ;  and  he  was  to  follow  the  hay-road 
after  I  left  him,"  replied  the  sentinel. 

Major  Lyon  was  very  prompt  in  deciding  upon 
his  action,  and  the  first  company  was  soon  in  line, 
and  ready  to  march.     Deck  belonged  in  one  of  its 


348  IN   THE   SADDLE 

ranks,  and  Artie  was  in  close  attendance  upon  the 
commander.  As  the  former  had  conducted  the 
detachment  "across  lots "  the  afternoon  before, 
the  major  sent  for  him;  and  the  two  young  sol- 
diers rode  side  by  side  behind  their  father,  who 
had  Captain  Gordon  at  his  side. 

"  It  seems  that  we  are  to  have  a  long  tramp  of 
it  after  this  ;  and  we  are  not  likely  to  be  at  home 
Christmas  or  Thanksgiving  this  year,"  said  Artie, 
as  the  column  descended  the  hill  to  the  by-road. 

"  Wherever  we  may  be,  it  looks  like  a  lively 
time  ahead;  for  things  seem  to  be- very  much 
mixed  in  the  State,"  replied  Deck. 

"How  do  you  suppose  the  Texans  got  out  of 
the  mud-hole,  Deck  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know ;  but  I  have  no  doubt  the  farmer 
who  lives  near  it  and  owns  the  farm  helped  them 
out  of  it.  He  is  a  surly  fellow,  and  I  saw  that  he 
was  a  Secessionist  when  I  met  him." 

"  What  do  these  two  darkies  want  ? "  asked 
Artie,  pointing  to  a  couple  of  colored  men,  who 
were  running  down  the  hill  from  the  northward  as 
though  their  very  lives  depended  upon  their  speed. 

"  Probably  they  are  messengers  who  have  come 
from  the  vicinity  of  the  bridge  by  the  same  route 


A  ]VIYSTERIOUS   DISAPPEARANCE  349 

I  did,"  replied  Deck,  as  he  noticed  that  one  of 
them  was  flourishing  what  looked  like  a  letter  in 
the  air. 

The  two  men  reached  the  brook  before  the  col- 
umn turned  in  at  the  by-road,  and  had  a  chance 
to  catch  their  breath  before  the  officers  came  up 
to  them.  They  had  probably  seen  the  column 
come  out  from  the  camp,  and  had  hurried  to  inter- 
cept it  before  it  turned  into  the  highway  they 
saw  ahead;  and  it  was  probable  that  they  were 
familiar  with  the  locality. 

"  Wich  o'  you  uns  is  Mars'r  Major  Lyon  ?  " 
asked  the  man  with  the  letter  of  the  first  one  he 
met,  who  happened  to  be  Deck. 

"  The  one  with  the  plume  in  his  hat,"  re- 
plied the  private.  "  Where  do  you  come  from, 
Cgesar?" 

"  From  de  souf  road  ;  more'n  a  t'ousand  so'diers 
dar.  De  man  wid  de  feder  in  his  hat,"  replied 
the  negro,  as  he  rushed  forward  to  the  major  and 
delivered  his  letter,  with  a  jumbled  speech,  of 
which  the  recipient  took  no  notice. 

Major  Lyon  drew  up  his  horse  at  the  side  of 
the  brook,  his  sons  remaining  with  him,  while  the 
column  continued  on  the  march.     He  tore  open 


350  IN   THE   SADDLE 

the  envelope,  and  read  the  epistle  written  with  a 
pencil. 

"  Be'n  a-lookin'  fo'  jou  all  night,  Mars'r,"  said 
the  bearer.  "De  gin'ral  done  gib  me  de  letter 
'fo'  dark,  an  done  tell  me  to  find  you.  Done 
tramp  seben  miles  on  de  roleraid ;  but  we  done 
couldn't  found  you." 

"  Where  did  you  sleep  ?  "  asked  the  major,  who 
was  evidently  pleased  with  the  information  con- 
tained in  the  letter. 

"  In  a  swotch-house,"  replied  the  messenger, 
who  was  very  much  confused,  and  his  small  stock 
of  English  was  badly  mixed.  "  In  a  swotch-house 
on  de  roleraid." 

"  He  means  a  switch-house,"  laughed  Deck,  who 
could  not  see  why  the  fellow  upset  his  words  so 
badly. 

The  major  read  the  missive  a  second  time,  and 
then  took  a  sort  of  portfolio  from  his  pocket,  and 
hastily  wrote  a  reply  to  it,  which  he  folded  and 
pinned  together  in  the   absence    of   an  envelope. 

"How  did  you  find  us  this  morning?"  asked 
the  major, 

"  We  done  find  de  hoss-tracks  an'  de  wagon- 
tracks,  an'  we  follers  dem." 


A  MYSTERIOUS   DISAPPEARANCE  351 

"  Here's  a  dollar  for  your  service  ;  but  don't 
spend  it  for  apple-jack,  my  boy,"  said  the  major, 
as  he  handed  a  couple  of  half-dollars  to  the 
messengers.  "  You  may  go  to  the  camp  yonder, 
and  get  something  to  eat,  if  you  like,  before  you 
return." 

■  The  men  were  grateful ;  and  the  one  who  re- 
ceived the  money  gave  half  of  it  to  his  companion. 
The  major  and  his  orderlies  hurried  forward,  and 
found  that  Captain  Gordon  had  halted  the  corn- 
pan}^  at  the  causeway,  where  the  inquiry  must 
begin. 

"  The  Home  Guards  arrived  at  the  bridwe  last 
night,  and  the  captain  of  the  company  reports 
to  me  as  directed.  I  have  written  out  what  in- 
formation I  have  to  give  him,  and  you  will  send 
a  couple  of  your  men  to  deliver  the  paper." 

Two  troopers  were  despatched  at  once  as  the 
bearers  of  the  order.  It  was  possible  tliat  the 
men  might  encounter  some  of  the  Rangers  who 
had  escaped  from  tlie  other  side  of  the  meadow ; 
and  they  were  cautioned  by  the  major  to  be  on 
the  lookout  for  them,  and  to  return  as  soon  a.i 
])ossible.  They  departed  at  a  gallop,  which  prom- 
ised a  speed}^  return. 


352  IN   THE   SADDLE 

"  One  thing  is  plain  enough :  the  Texans  did 
not  come  out  of  the  mire  by  this  causeway," 
said  the  major,  as  he  turned  his  attention  to  the 
question  under  consideration. 

"  The  sentinels  were  here  all  night,"  replied 
Captain  Gordon. 

"  But  we  can  easily  discover  where  they  did 
escape,"  added  the  commander  as  he  dismounted, 
indicating  that  he  intended  to  conduct  the  inquiry 
personally;  and  Deck  and  Artie  followed  his  ex- 
ample. "  Detail  ten  men  to  go  with  us,  dis- 
mounted, and  you  Avill  go  with  us.  Captain." 

Deck  and  Artie  Avere  directed  to  go  ahead  as 
guides.  They  descended  the  causeway,  and  came 
to  the  sod  that  covered  and  concealed  the  mud 
beneath.  The  turf  was  strong  enough  to  support 
men  on  foot,  as  had  been  seen  the  afternoon  be- 
fore in  the  movements  of  the  Rangers.  But  the 
hoofs  of  the  horses  cut  through  it,  and  they  Avere 
mired  as  soon  as  they  advanced,  though  some 
of  them  wallowed  a  considerable  distance  before 
they  gave  up  the  struggle. 

The  meadow  was  nearly  round  in  form,  and 
about  half  a  mile  in  diameter.  The  orderlies, 
as  both  of  them  soon  came  to  be  called,  advanced 


A   MYSTERIOUS   DISAPPEARANCE  353 

safely,  though  they  were  compelled  to  avoid  the 
places  where  the  Texans'  horses  had  cut  up  the 
sod  and  brought  the  mud  to  the  surface.  The 
material  of  the  hay  causcAvay,  which  had  at  fiist 
been  extended  in  the  direction  of  the  solid  one, 
had  been  removed;  but  leading  from  the  brook, 
towards  a  point  above  the  farmer's  house,  they 
saw  the  one  that  must  have  been  used  by  the 
Rangers. 

The  two  haystacks  seen  the  day  before  had 
been  entirely  removed,  and  the  road  built  of  it 
was  about  a  foot  deep  of  hay.  The  officers  and 
the  ten  men  followed  the  guides ;  and  the  hay 
causeway  conducted  them  to  an  inclined  plane 
built  of  old  boards  and  planks,  which  the  party 
mounted,  and  came  to  a  field  near  the  road.  The 
mysterious  disappearance  of  the  Texans  was  fully 
explained. 


354  IN  THE   SADDLE 


CHAPTER   XXIX 

THE   EIVEELAWN   CAVALRY   CHANGES   BASE 

The  first  thing  Major  Lyon  did  when  he 
reached  the  road,  and  the  disappearance  of  the 
Texans  was  no  longer  mysterious,  was  to  take 
fi'om  his  pocket  his  map  of  the  county.  He 
found  the  hill  road,  and  the  one  where  they 
stood. 

"  If  the  sentinel  who  reported  that  he  could 
hear  the  Rangers  snore  in  the  bog  told  tlie  truth, 
the  enemy  got  some  rest  last  night,"  said  the 
major,  addressing  Captain  Gordon. 

"  But  he  did  not  hear  them  snore ;  that  was 
absurd,"  replied  the  captain.  "  If  they  had  been 
snoring,  he  could  not  have  heard  them ;  for  they 
were  at  work  too  far  from  him.  If  he  heard 
anything,  it  must  have  been  the  bubbling  of  the 
brook;  but  probably  it  was  all  in  his  imagina- 
tion. But  what  is  the  point  in  regard  to  the 
snoring,  IMnjor  Lyon  ?  " 


i 


EIVERLAWN   CAVALRY   CHANGES   BASE      355 

"  If  the  Rangers  \A^orkecl  all  night,  and  did  not 
get  any  sleep,  they  are  too  tired  and  sleepy  this 
morning  to  make  a  long  march,"  replied  the 
commander. 

"  Then  you  think  they  have  camped  at  some 
place  not  far  from  us  ? "  asked  the  captain. 

"  I  only  think  it  is  possible  they  have  done 
so.  Captain  Dingfield  appeared  to  be  badly 
wounded,  from  all  reports ;  and  I  doubt  if  there 
is  as  much  strategy  iii  his  brain  to-day  as  he 
had  yesterday.  I  shall  not  make  a  business  of 
pursuing  him." 

"  It  would  be  a  good  thing  for  this  part  of 
the  State  if  he  could  be  cleaned  out  entirely, 
bagged,  and  his  company  sent  to  Louisville  as 
prisoners,"  suggested  Captain  Gordon. 

"  No  doubt  of  it ;  but  it  would  be  hardly  con- 
sistent with  the  orders  I  have  just  received  for  me 
to  delay  in  this  section  to  carry  out  your  idea. 
We  are  more  needed  elsewhere  than  here." 

"  Then  we  are  to  march  on  a  sort  of  roving 
commission  to  the  eastward,  where  the  Confed- 
erates are  breakino-  through  from  Tennessee,  it 
appears." 

"It   amounts   to   that,    though   my    orders   are 


356  IN  THE   SADDLE 

very  expUr;it,"  replied  the  major,  as  he  led  the 
way  back  to  the  narrow  pass  where  the  company 
had  been  halted.  "  The  situation  here  is  not  so 
bad  as  it  was.  We  have  saved  the  bridge ;  and 
the  Home  Guards  which  arrived  there  last  night 
are  described  as  consisting  of  good  men,  who  will 
be  mustered  into  a  Kentucky  regiment  as  soon 
as  circumstances  permit;  and  Captain  Woodward, 
who  commands  it,  is  an  old  soldier,  and  likely  to 
be  made  a  colonel." 

"  Then  the  bridge  will  be  safe." 

"  It  can  be  better  defended  by  infantry  than 
b}'"  cavalry  alone ;  both  would  do  better  than 
■  either.  Captain  Dingfield  and  his  bridge-burners 
have  been  sent  to  the  north,  and  I  have  no 
doubt  he  intends  to  join  them  there.  To  fol- 
low him  would  keep  me  some  days,  if  not  a 
week,  from  the  more  pressing  duty  assigned  to 
me,"  reasoned  the  commander. 

"  I  understand  it  better  now,"  added  the 
captain. 

"  I  have  been  informed  that  troops  have  been 
sent  to  the-  vicinity  of  Munfordville,  in  Hart 
County,  wliere  the  railroad  bridge  has  been  partly 
destroyed,  though  a  temporary  structure  has  been 


RIVERLAWN   CAVALRY   CHANGES    BASE      357 

built  to  replace  it.  I  think  Dingfield  means  to  go 
there,  and  comjjlete  the  work  others  failed  to 
finish." 

"  I  hope  we  shall  find  the  guerillas,  or  whatever 
they  are ;  and  I  believe  our  boys  will  soon  make 
an  end  of  them,"  said  the  captain  with  enthu- 
siasm. "  Your  orders  permit  you  to  go  where 
you  please,  Major." 

"  They  do ;  for  it  was  not  possible  for  those 
charged  with  the  protection  of  the  State  to  in- 
form me  definitely  where  the  guerillas  were  to 
be  found,  as  they  are  continually  changing  their 
locality,  though  I  have  some  papers  to  aid  me. 
I  am  not  a  little  surprised  at  the  confidence  placed 
in  me  by  my  superiors,  who  send  me  on  a  mission 
with  no  definite  instructions." 

"  All  the  details  of  the  fights  at  Riverlawn  and 
its  vicinity  are  known  to  them ;  for  J  have  taken 
care  that  they  should  not  be  ignorant  in  regard 
to  you." 

"  But  I  have  just  become  a  soldier,"  added 
he  major  modestly. 

"  Then  it  runs  in  the  blood,  and  it  has  got 
as  far  down  as  Deck,"  said  Captain  Gordon, 
laughing,  as  they  came  to  the  company. 


358  IN   THE   SADDLE 

The  party  mounted,  and  rode  back  at  a  gallop 
to  the  camp.  The  cooks  of.  the  companj^  had 
prepared  an  unusually  good  breakfast,  Avhich  was 
disposed  of  with  a  relish,  stimulated  by  three 
days'  feeding  from  the  haversacks  of  the  troopers. 
As  soon  as  it  was  finished,  the  order  was  given  to 
"break  camp;"  and,  as  it  had  been  hardly  more 
than  a  bivouac,  the  work  was  speedily  accom- 
plished, and  the  two  companies  were  soon  in 
line. 

While  these  preparations  were  in  progress,  the 
major  was  studj-ing  his  county  map.  What  little 
baofofao'e  had  been  taken  from  the  Avag^ons  was  soon 
loaded  ao-ain.  There  was  little  for  the  officers  to 
do,  after  the  orders  had  been  given. 

"We  are  about  ready  to  march,"  said  Captain 
Gordon,  approaching  the  commander,  who  had 
seated  himself  on  a  log  near  the  road. 

"I  am  all  ready,"  replied  the  major,  as  he 
glanced  at  Artie,  who  was  holding  his  horse  near 
him.  "  Of  course  Dingfield  followed  this  by-road, 
which  will  take  him  to  another  by  which  he  can 
reach  Munfordville,  if  he  is  going  there.  We 
will  take  the  same  road ;  and  if  the  Rangers  are 
I'esting  themselves  in  camp  after  the  fatigues  of 


RIVERLAWN    CAVALRY   CHANGES    BASE      359 

the  day  and  night,  we  may  have  a  chance  to  pay 
our  respects  to  them." 

"  I  should  hke  one  more  slap  at  them  ;  for  they 
ran  away  so  rapidly  that  I  did  not  get  a  fair  hit 
at  them,"  added  the  captain. 

"  But  they  are  brave  men,  and  we  outnumber 
them  two  to  one.  Truman  says  they  fought  like 
tigers  on  the  east  road." 

"That  is  true,  and  that  is  the  reason  I  should 
like  to  meet  them  again ;  for  I  believe  there  is  not 
a  braver  or  more  reliable  body  of  men  in  the  Union 
army  than  the  Riverlawn  Cavalry ;  and  I  am  not  a 
Kentackian  either." 

"  Neither  am  I  by  birth,  though  I  am  by  adop- 
tion ;  and  I  am  precisely  of  your  opinion  in  regard 
to  our  men,"  added  the  major  as  he  mounted  his 
horse  ;  and  his  orderlies  did  the  same. 

Deck  was  at  home  again  in  the  saddle;  for  Cepli 
had  come  to  the  camp  with  the  second  company. 
After  the  prisoners  at  the  bridge  had  been  disposed 
of,  the  wounded  had  been  cared  for  by  sending 
them  in  one  of  the  captured  wagons  to  Riverlawn, 
consigned  to  the  care  of  Levi  Bedford ;  for  a  hos- 
pital had  been  established  there  for  the  wounded 
in  the  battles  with  the  ruffians. 


360  IN   THE   SADDLE 

The  column  moved  doAvn  the  road,  and  turned 
into  that  which  the  Rangers  had  used  in  their 
escape.  As  the  right  of  the  line  approached  the 
house  of  the  farmer,  that  worthy  presented  himself 
before  the  officers ;  and  he  appeared  to  be  mad 
enough  to  swallow  half-a-dozen  Yankees.  Possi- 
bly he  thought  the  squadron  had  started  in  ]3ur- 
suit  of  the  Texans. 

"  I  want  to  know  who's  ter  pay  me  for  that  dog 
o'  mine  some  o'  you  uns  killed  last  night,"  he 
broke  out,  walking  along  by  the  side  of  the  major 
and  Captain  Goi"don.  "  That  critter  was  wuth  a 
hund'ed  dollars,  and  that's  what  I  want  you  uns 
to  pay  me  before  you  go  any  furder." 

"  Are  you  a  loyal  citizen  of  the  United  States  ?  " 
asked  Major  Lyon. 

"  I'm  nothin'  o'  that  sort !  "  replied  the  native, 
who  began  to  heap  curses  and  maledictions  on 
the  government.  "  The'  ain't  no  United  States ! 
She's  done  busted  all  to  pieces !  " 

The  major  made  no  reply,  and  had  not  even 
stopped  his  horse.  The  fellow  followed  him;  but 
lie  took  no  further  notice  of  the  irate  Secessionist, 
rather  to  the  amusement  of  Captain  Gordon  and 
others  within  hearino-.     But  the  farmer  was  soon 


RIVERLAWN   CAVALRY   CHANGES    BASE      361 

tired  of  addressing  one  who  treated  him  witli 
silent  contempt,  and  seated  himself  on  a  stump  to 
observe  the  procession. 

Two  skilful  scouts,  one  of  whom  Avas  Life 
Knox,  had  already  been  sent  forward  to  search  for 
any  indications  of  the  camp  of  the  Texans.  The 
squadron  soon  reached  another  road  running 
through  a  valley.  The  major  had  learned  from 
his  map  that  it  connected  with  the  east  road  in 
one  direction,  and  the  hill-road  in  the  other. 

The  column  halted  to  wait  for  the  return  of  the 
scouts.  Knox  and  his  companion  soon  appeared, 
and  reported  that  he  had  followed  this  road  to  its 
junction  with  the  hill-road,  without  seeing  any- 
thing of  the  enemy. 

"  They  ain't  within  ten  miles  of  here,"  added 
the  Kentuckian.  "  I  got  so  I  know  the  tracks  o' 
them  Texas  bosses,  and  I  follered  'em  five  miles. 
They  don't  want  nothin'  more  o'  the  Riverlawn 
Cavalry." 

This  information  settled  the  point  so  far  as  the 
Rangers  were  concerned,  and  nothing  was  seen  of 
them,  though  they  appeared  in  some  skirmishes 
farther  north.  The  Indian  craft  of  Knox  had 
proved  to  be  very  useful,  and  he    was   a   great 


362  IN   THE   SADDLE 

favorite  with  both  officers  and  men.  The  march 
was  resumed  ;  but  the  events  of  the  next  two  daj-s 
on  the  road  are  not  of  interest  enough  to  be 
reported.  At  the  end  of  this  time  the  squadron 
were  in  the  territory  described  in  the  orders  of  tlie 
commander,  and  active  work  was  expected. 

Just  before  sunset  the  battalion  halted  on  the 
outskirts  of  a  small  village,  and  went  into  camp 
there.  The  American  flag  was  hoisted  on  a  pole 
planted  for  the  purpose,  in  order  that  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  vicinity  might  make  no  mistake  in 
regard  to  the  character  of  the  force.  Not  only  the 
negroes  and  loungers  to  be  found  in  every  village 
flocked  to  the  camp,  but  some  of  the  influential 
citizens  appeared  on  the  ground.  The  guard  kept 
them  outside  of  the  lines.  A  person  on  horseback, 
who  had  the  air  and  manner  of  the  genuine  Ken- 
tucky gentleman,  attracted  the  attention  of  Major 
Lyon,  who  was  desirous  of  obtaining  information  on 
the  spot  in  regard  to  the  sentiments  of  the  people. 

"  Who  is  the  gentleman  on  horseback  ? "  he 
asked  of  a  well-dressed  negro,  who  looked  like 
an  intelligent  man;  for  the  commander  suspected 
that  he  was  a  Secessionist,  though  he  had  no  rea- 
son for  supposing  that  he  was  such. 


EIVERLAWN   CAVALRY   CHANGES    BASE      363 

"  That  is  Colonel  Coffee,  sir,  the  biggest  man  in 
these  parts,"  replied  the  colored  man. 

"  How  does  he  stand  on  the  war  question  ?  Do 
you  happen  to  know?"  continued  the  major. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  the  man  with  a  smile ; 
"  everj^body  within  twenty  miles  of  this  village 
knows  which  side  Colonel  Coffee  is  on,  sir." 

"  Well,  which  side  is  •  he  on  ?  "  demanded  the 
commander,  who  saw  that  the  gentleman  was 
approaching  him. 

"  He's  a  Union  man  all  over  and  all  through  ; 
and  the  people  are  trying  to  get  up  a  Home  Guard 
to  protect  his  place  —  that's  the  one  you  see  on 
the  side  of  the  hill.  We  expect  the  gorillas  down 
here." 

"You  have  named  them  well,  my  friend," 
added  the  major  with  a  laugh.  "Do  you  know 
Avhere  there  are  any  of  them  ?  " 

"  No,  sir ;  they  are  like  flies,  and  don't  make 
nests  anywhere.  I  reckon  Colonel  Coffee  wants 
to  speak  to  you,  sir;  for  I  suppose  you  are  an 
officer  of  this  company,"  added  the  man,  who 
retired  at  the  approach  of  the  great  man  of  the 
localit}'. 

The   magnate    of   the  '  county  rode    up   to   the 


364  IN   THE   SADDLE 

major,  and  saluted  him  with  courtly  grace ;  and 
though  the  latter  was  not  brought  up  in  a 
drawing-room,  he  was  as  polite  as  the  occasion  re- 
quired. 

"I  am  exceedingly  happy  to  see  that  flag 
.hoisted  over  a  body  of  military  in  this  county," 
said  the  colonel,  with  a  cheerful  smile,  as  he 
pointed  with  his  riding-whip  at  the  emblem  of  the 
Union. 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  be  where  there  are  those 
who  appreciate  the  flag,"  added  the  major. 

"  I  am  only  sorry  that  you  will  find  so  few  of 
them  in  this  neighborhood,"  returned  the  dignified 
Kentuckian.  "  We  are  threatened  by  roving  bands 
of  plunderers  to  the  east  and  south  of  us,  and  for 
the  last  week  I  have  expected  to  walk  away  from 
my  place  by  the  light  of  my  burning  house.  I 
live  in  that  one  on  the  side  of  the  hill." 

"  I  hope  we  shall  be  able  to  put  an  end  to  this 
state  of  affairs  at  once.  Colonel  Coffee,"  replied 
the  major. 

"  You  know  my  name,"  said  the  magnate  with  a 
smile. 

"  I  asked  it  of  that  negro." 

"  He  is  the  village  barber,  and  a  very  intelligent 


KIVEELAWN   CAVALRY  CHANGES   BASE     365 

man.  May  I  ask  whom  I  have  the  honor  to  ad- 
dress ?  "  inquired  the  colonel. 

"Major  Lyon,  in  command  of  a  squadron  of 
United  States  cavalry,"  replied  tlie  officer. 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  see  you,  Major,  personally, 
and  especially  to  see  you  at  Greeltop ;  for  we  are 
greatly  in  need  of  efficient  protection,"  returned 
the  colonel.     "I  have  heard  all  about  you  before." 

"I  am  equally  happy  to  meet  you,  Colonel 
Coffee  ;  for  I  am  at  present  in  urgent  need  of  full 
information  in  regard  to  the  condition  of  affairs  in 
this  section." 

"  I  shall  be  pleased  to  have  you  dine  with  me, 
and  we  can  talk  over  matters  at  our  leisure  in  my 
library." 

Major  Lyon  excused  himself  from  the  dinner, 
and  invited  the  colonel  to  his  tent,  which  had 
been  set  up  by  this  time. 


366  IN   THE   SADDLE 


CHAPTER     XXX 

THE   MAGNATE   OF    GREELTOP's   VISIT 

The  cavaliymen  had  been  duly  drilled  in  all 
the  details  of  forming  a  camp ;  and  in  a  short  time 
the  tents  were  pitched,  the  pickets  set  up  for  the 
horses,  and  the  cooks  were  busy  in.  preparing 
supper.  The  headquartei:s  tent  was  the  first  to 
be  arranged,  as  soon  as  the  major  had  indicated 
its  location.  Colonel  Coffee  was  invited  to  take 
a  camp-stool ;  for  they  do  not  have  sofas  and  arm- 
chairs in  a  camp. 

"  I  have  been  pleading  with  the  officials  for 
the  last  two  weeks  to  attend  to  the  security  of 
this  region,"  said  the  colonel,  as  he  seated  him- 
self. "  I  have  wondered  every  day  during  the 
last  week  that  Greeltop  has  not  been  sacked, 
and  all  our  houses  burned  down ;  for  there  is  a 
great  deal  of  Union  sentiment  in  the  j^lace." 

"•Then  the  place  must  be  particularly  liable  to 
an  assault  frcn  the  guerillas,"  suggested  the  major. 


THE   MAGNATE   OF   GEEELTOP'S   VISIT       367 

"  We  have  tried  to  form  a  Home  Guard  here 
for  the  protection  of  the  viUage,  and  we  have  a 
little  band  of  about  twenty  men;  but  most  of 
our  young  and  middle-aged  men  have  left  the 
place  to  enlist  in  the  loyal  army,  so  that  we 
have  not  much  stock  of  which  to  form  a  com- 
pany. But  our  little  band  keep  a  picket  of 
five  or  ten  of  their  number  in  the  outskirts  of 
the  village,  to  warn  us  of  the  approach  of  an 
enemy." 

"  We  shall  soon  relieve  them  of  that  duty." 

"  Our  men  are  not  soldiers,  for  they  have  had 
no  training ;  but  they  are  made  up  of  fighting 
material.  Though  I  am  sixty- five  years  old,  I 
belong  to  the  company ;  and  I  have  just  returned 
from  patrolling  the  region  to  the  eastward  of 
us." 

While  he  listened  to  the  visitor,  Major  Lyon 
had  spread  out  his  map,  which  included  the  local- 
ity ;  and  with  the  assistance  of  the  colonel  he 
obtained  a  clear  idea  of  the  surface  of  the  coun- 
try, the  first  requisite  for  a  military  commander. 
While  they  were  still  busy  over  the  map,  the 
sentinel  at  the  entrance  to  the  tent  drew  aside 
the  curtain,  and  saluted  the  commander. 


368  IN   THE   SADDLE 

"  A  messenger  in  a  great  hurry  to  see  Colonel 
Coffee,"  said  he. 

"  Admit  him,"  replied  the  major  promptly. 

A  gentleman  dressed  in  a  black  coat  with  a 
standing  collar  to  it,  encircled  with  a  belt,  in 
which  was  secured  a  pair  of  navy  revolvers, 
entered  the  tent,  out  of  breath  with  excitement 
or  running. 

"  The  Rev.  Mr.  Elbroon,  Major  Lyon,  one  of 
our  Home  Guard,"  said  the  colonel  as  soon  as 
the  clergyman  appeared  at  the  entrance. 

There  was  nothing  clerical  in  his  appearance 
except  the  standing  collar  of  his  coat ;  and  the 
revolvers  especially  belied  his  profession. 

"  The  Lord  be  praised  for  his  great  mercy !  " 
exclaimed  the  minister,  as  soon  as  he  could  get 
breath  for  utterance. 

"  What  is  the  matter,  Joseph?  "  asked  the  mag- 
nate of  Greeltop  very  familiarly. 

"  The  guerillas  are  coming !  "  exclaimed  the 
reverend  gentleman. 

"Where  are  they?"  asked  the  colonel,  as  coolly 
as  though  he  had  been  in  command  of  a  regiment 
for  years. 

"  They  are  coming  down  by  the  mountain  road 


THE   MAGNATE    OF   GEEELTOP'S   VISIT        369 

back  of  your  mansion  !  "  gasped  Mr.  Elbroon,  who 
was  evidently  very  much  alarmed,  and  could 
hardly  speak  in  his  fatigue  and  excitement. 

"  Sentinel !  "  called  the  major  sharply. 

The  man  appeared  at  once. 

"Where  is  Captain  Gordon?  " 

"  He  is  close  by,  Major." 

"  Ask  him  to  come  to  my  tent." 

"  Sit  down,  Joseph,"  said  the  colonel,  giving  his 
stool  to  his  friend  and  his  fellow-soldier,  it  ap- 
peared. "  You  don't  gain  anything  by  blowing 
yourself  out." 

"  But  this  is  no  time  to  sit  down,"  replied  the 
excited  minister,  though  he  took  the  proffered 
seat. 

Captain  Gordon  appeared  immediately. 

"  A  raid  of  guerillas  on  the  i^lace.  Captain  ! 
Have  the  first  company  ready  to  march  in  three 
minutes  !  "  said  the  commander  in  hurried  tones. 

The  captain  retired  in  haste,  without  asking  any 
questions ;  and  a  moment  later  the  bugles  were 
lieard  sounding  the  assembly.  The  major  buckled 
on  his  sword,  and  sent  out  an  order  for  his 
horse. 

"  Thank  the  good  Lord  that  the  military  have 


370  IN  THE   SADDLE 

come  at  last !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Elbroon,  as  he 
crossed  his  arms  on  his  breast,  and  looked  up 
to  heaven  in  earnest  prayer.  "  But  we  are  wast- 
ing time,  Colonel ;  and  I  am  afraid  we  shall  see 
your  beautiful  mansion  in  flames  before  we  can 
get  there." 

"  If  we  do,  it  will  go  up  in  a  good  cause,"  re- 
plied the  magnate,  with  a  smile  on  his  dignified 
face.  "I  can  afford  to  lose  it  better  than  some  of 
the  poor  people  of  the  village  could  their  houses. 
But  cool  off,  Joseph ;  you  are  still  all  in  a  flutter." 

"I  will  try  to  do  so,"  replied  the  clerical  sol- 
dier. "  I  saw  them  coming  when  I  was  on  the 
top  of  the  mountain.  I  hurried  my  poor  horse 
till  he  broke  ^own  under  me  ;  and  I  had  to  run 
on  foot  the  rest  of  the  way." 

"Rest  yourself,  Joseph.  If  you  saw  the  gue- 
rillas from  the  top  of  the  mountain,  there  is  no 
hurry ;  for  they  will  not  reach  my  house  this 
half-hour,"  added  the  colonel. 

"You  shall  have  another  horse,  my  reverend 
friend,"  interposed  the  commander,  as  he  ordered 
the  sentinel  to  send  for  a  spare  steed. 

"  Now,  Joseph,  where  were  the  guerillas  when 
you  saw  them  ?  "  inquired  the  magnate. 


THE   IVIAGNATE   OF   GREELTOP'S   VISIT       371 

"They  were  on  tlie  Cliff  Road,  just  coming 
around  the  bend." 

"  That  is  four  miles  from  my  house,  and  five 
from  here,"  continued  the  colonel. 

"But  I  have  been  a  long  time  coming  here," 
suggested  Mr.  Elbroon. 

"  Excuse  me,  Colonel  Coffee  ;  I  should  like  a 
little  more  definite  information  in  regard  to  the 
road  by  which  these  guerillas  will  approach  the 
village,"  interposed  the  commander. 

"  I  don't  think  they  will  approach  the  village  at 
all.  Major  Lyon.  I  have  not  the  remotest  doubt 
that  my  mansion  is  their  objective  point ;  and 
they  will  first  plunder  that." 

"  We  will  take  care  that  they  don't  do  anything 
of  the  sort.  Have  you  any  idea  how  many  there 
were  in  the  company  you  saw,  Mr.  Elbroon  ?  " 

"  I  could  see  them  marching  along  under  the 
cliff ;  I  should  say  there  were  not  less  than  fifty 
of  them,"  replied  the  clergyman.  "  I  did  not 
wait  to  count  them,  but  hurried  to  the  village, 
where  I  inquired  of  everybody  for  Colonel  Coffee. 
The  barber  told  me  he  was  here." 

"  Company  formed,"  reported  the  sentinel  at 
the  door. 


372  IN  THE   SADDLE 

"  We  are  ready  now,  gentlemen,"  said  the  major, 
as  he  passed  out  of  the  tent,  followed  by  the 
others. 

"  The  spare  horse  ordered,  Major,"  said  the  sen- 
tinel, as  he  led  him  up. 

The  clerical  gentleman  was  invited  to  mount 
this  animal,  which  had  been  ridden  by  one  of  the 
men  killed;  and  the  colonel  mounted  his  own 
steed.  The  commander  took  his  horse,  which 
was  led  by  Deck,  while  Artie  had  brought  up  the 
spare  steed.  The  animal  was  a  higher-spirited 
beast  than  the  parson  had  been  in  the  habit  of 
riding,  and  Artie  had  to  take  him  by  the  head  to 
prevent  him  from  running  away ;  for  he  was  one 
of  the  colts  of  the  Riverlawn  planter's  stock. 

"My  orderlies  will  ride  with  me,"  said  the 
major ;  "  I  may  want  them.  Captain  Truman, 
you  will  have  the  second  company  in  marching 
order,  in  case  I  send  for  them,  though  I  don't 
know  what  this  affair  will  amount  to ;  and  you 
will  leave  a  guard  at  the  camp  if  you  are  called 
away." 

The  order  was  given  to  Captain  Gordon  to 
march.  The  commander  led  the  column  at  full 
gallop,  with  the  colonel  at  his  side,  and  the  order- 


THE  MAGNATE   OF   GREELTOP'S   VISIT        373 

lies  in  the  rear  of  them.  In  less  than  a  minute 
they  came  to  a  road  turning  off  at  the  left,  lead- 
ing in  the  direction  of  the  magnate's  mansion. 
It  was  situated  on  the  side  of  a  hill,  and  near  the 
top  of  it.  The  elevation  was  elliptical  in  form, 
and  the  loftiest  part  was  not  more  than  sixty  feet 
high,  at  the  summit  of  which  was  a  Chinese  pa- 
goda, painted  in  gaudy  colors. 

There  was  a  valley  behind  it;  for  the  major 
could  see  the  tops  of  some  tall  trees,  whose  roots 
must  be  far  below  the  top  of  the  elliptical  hill. 
Beyond  it  were  what  the  colonel  called  the  moun- 
tains, though  probably  not  one  of  them  was  more 
than  five  hundred  feet  high.  The  column  fol- 
lowed the  road  into  which  it  had  turned  till  it 
came  to  another ;  and  here  the  major  ordered  the 
captain  to  halt  his  company. 

"  Here  is  another  road.  Colonel  Coffee ;  and  it 
passes  behind  the  hill  which  you  call  Greeltop," 
said  the  commander. 

"  Precisely  so,"  replied  the  magnate,  who 
thought  the  major  had  acquired  a  very  good 
knowledge  of  the  locality  when  he  had  been 
there  hardly  more  than  an  hour. 

"  Captain   Gordon,  you  will  go  that  way  with 


374  IN    THE    SADDLE 

half  your  companj^,  and  Lieutenant  Gilder  will 
follow  me,"  said  Major  Lyon.  "  The  road  through 
the  valley  unites  with  the  one  from  the  mountains, 
by  which  the  guerillas  must  approach  the  village. 
You  will  move  cautiously  as  you  come  near  this 
road,  and  halt  there  till  you  hear  firing  on  your 
right." 

"  You  can  hardly  call  it  a  road  through  the 
valley,  though  the  captain  can  get  through  with- 
out any  difficulty,"  interposed  the  magnate.  "It 
is  all  a  grove,  but  the  ground  has  been  cleared 
off." 

"  Dexter,  you  will  call  Knox,  and  scout  the  road 
ahead  of  us.  Don't  let  the  enemy  see  you,  and 
obey  the  orders  of  the  sergeant,"  continued  the 
major,  as  the  first  platoon  rode  off. 

Life  Knox  was  called  from  his  place  in  the 
ranks,  and  the  order  of  the  commander  given  to 
him.  It  was  the  kind  of  duty  the  sergeant  liked; 
for  he  was  more  at  home  there  than  in  following 
military  forms;  though  he  was  a  faithful  and  obe- 
dient soldier,  and  his  captain  wished  he  had  a 
hundred  more  like  him. 

"Here  we  go  again,  Deck,"  said  the  sergeant, 
as  they  galloped  up  the  road,  by  the  entrance  to 


THE   MAGNATE   OF   GREELTOP's   VISIT       375 

Colonel  Coffee's  estate.  "Your  pa  does  well  to 
send  me  along  with  you  this  time,  and  not  leave 
you  alone  as  he  did  on  that  bridge." 

"  But  I  can  take  care  of  myself,  and  I  did  that 
time ;  for  I  came  back  like  a  bad  penny,"  replied 
Deck. 

"  You  managed  fust-rate,  my  boy ;  and  if  you 
live  to  be  as  old  as  the  white-haired  owner  of  this 
place,  you  will  be  a  brigadier-general ;  and  I  hope 
I  shall  be  an  orderly  sergeant  under  you." 

"  You  are  a  good  deal  more  likely  to  become  a 
brigadier-general  than  I  am,  though  I  may  get  to 
be  a  corporal  some  time.  You  may  be  major-gen- 
eral; for  you  understand  war  much  better  than 
most  of  us." 

"  That  can't  never  be.  Deck.  I  hain't  got  the 
eddication  to  be  anything  more  than  a  non-com- 
missioned officer,"  said  Knox,  shaking  his  head, 
and  hurrying  on  his  horse. 

"  It  wouldn't  be  just  the  thing  for  a  brigadier- 
general  to  say  '  eddication,'  "  replied  Deck. 

"  What  would  you  call  it  ?  I  didn't  pay  much 
attention  to  my  eddication  when  I  was  a  young 
cub,  and  have  bfeen  sorry  for  it  ever  sence.  What 
do  you  call  it,  Deck  ?  " 


376  IN   THE   SADDLE 

"  Ed-u-ca-tion." 

"  But  I  can't  say  it  like  that." 

"  Yes,  you  can.  You  have  a  brother  named  Ed- 
ward, and  you  call  him  Ed  when  you  speak  of 
him.     Now  say  this,  Life,  '  Ed,  you  can.'  " 

"  '  Ed,  you  can.'  " 

"  Good !  Now  say,  '  Ed,  you,  Kate,'  "  which 
was  the  name  he  had  given  the  mare  he  rode. 

'"Ed,  you,  Kate.'" 

"Exactly;  and  it  is  just  as  easy  to  say  'edu- 
cate' as  'eddicate.'     Try  it." 

He  did  it  as  well  as  though  he  had  been  to 
college. 

"  You  will  be  a  brigadier-general  if  you  keep  on ; 
for  you  know  more  now  than  half  of  them  who 
pronounce  their  words  correctly,"  added  Deck, 
reining  in  his  horse  as  they  came  to  another  road. 
"  This  is  the  one  we  are  to  follow,  I  think." 

"I  reckon  'tis;  and  we  won't  edicate  —  ed-u- 
cate  —  no  more  jest  now." 

"I  don't  see  anything  of  any  guerillas  yet." 

"They  hain't  got  along,"  replied  Knox,  as  he 
reined  in  his  horse  and  looked  about  him. 

There  was  something  peculiar  about  the  place 
which  attracted  the  attention  of  the  Kentuckian. 


THE   MAGNATE   OF   GREELTOP'S   VISIT        S.77 

The  road  passed  through  a  round  open  space.  On 
one  side  was  a  broad  gateway  that  led  by  a  wind- 
ing driveway  to  the  front  door  of  the  colonel's 
mansion. 

"  This  would  be  a  nice  place  to  meet  them  goril- 
las," said  Knox,  as  he  looked  about  him.  "  Now 
get  in  there.  Deck,"  and  he  pointed  to  the  open 
gateway,  and  led  his  mate  into  it.  "  You  hold 
Kate  while  I  look  inter  this  thing  afoot ; "  and  he 
slid  from  his  horse  to  the  ground. 

He  followed  the  road,  concealing  himself  as 
much  as  possible  in  the  shadow  of  the  trees. 


378  IN   THE   SADDLE 


CHAPTER   XXXI 

LIFE   KNOX   ON   THE   MOUNTAIN   EOAD 

Life  Knox  contrived  in  one  Avay  or  another 
to  keep  his  tall  form  out  of  sight  of  any  person 
who  happened  to  be  in  the  vicinity  of  his  opera- 
tions. Deck  Lyon  had  told  him  the  nature  of 
the  present  enterprise,  so  that  he  understood  per- 
fectly the  work  in  which  he  was  engaged.  When 
he  reached  the  east  end  of  the  valley,  behind  the 
colonel's  mansion,  he  was  aware  that  Captain  Gor- 
don, with  Lieutenant  Belthorpe's  platoon  of  the 
company,  was  posted  here  ;  but  they  were  so  well 
concealed,  in  accordance  with  the  orders,  that  he 
could  not  see  them,  or  even  the  pickets  sent  out 
by  the  officer. 

It  was  nearly  dark,  and  Knox  thought  it  was 
time  for  the  enemy  to  appear,  if  they  intended 
to  accomplish  anything  that  day ;  but  it  occurred 
to  the  Kentuckian  that  they  "  chose  darkness 
because  their  deeds  were  evil."     He  could  neither 


LIFE    KNOX   ON   THE   MOUNTAIN   EOAD      379 

see  nor  hear  anything  that  indicated  the  approach 
of  mounted  men.  He  walked  up  the  gentle  de- 
clivity of  the  mountain  road,  and  found  a  country 
Letter  adapted  to  his  work  than  nearer  the  village. 
He  found  one  of  the  knolls  which  abound  in  this 
region,  and  he  cut  his  way  through  the  brambles 
and  bushes  to  the  top  of  it;  for  he  saw  that 
it  commanded  a  view  of  what  was  called  the 
Cliff  Road,  though  he  did  not  know  it  by  this 
name. 

The  marauders  had  passed  the  cliffs,  and  had 
halted  on  a  little  hill  in  the  road,  evidently  to 
make  their  final  preparations  for  the  assault  upon 
the  village.  He  counted  twenty-eight  mounted 
men,  —  for  the  guerillas  were  not  more  than  a 
hundred  yards  from  him,  —  and  there  was  a  con- 
siderable number  of  men  on  foot,  among  whom 
the  scout  noted  two  or  three  negroes.  He  looked 
upon  them  with  interest,  and  had  an  excellent 
opportunity  to  observe  them.  The  mounted  men 
seemed  to  be  engaged  in  a  discussion  Avhich  be- 
came warm,  judging  from  the  gestures  of  some  of 
those  engaged  in  it. 

Knox  made  up  his  mind  that  these  ruffians  were 
not  regular  troops,  though  they  might  be  one  of 


380  IN   THE   SADDLE 

the  "  Partisan "  bands,  of  which  he  had  heard 
something  from  Deck.  The  men  on  foot  appeared 
to  be  vagabonds  and  "  bummers,"  eager  to  share 
in  the  spoils  of  the  expedition.  The  colonel  and 
the  clergyman  were  perfectly  confident  that  the 
mansion  of  the  former  was  the  objective  point 
of  the  Partisans.  They  knew  it  would  be  rich 
in  plunder,  which  was  doubtless  the  sole  pur- 
pose of  the  marauders ;  for  they  could  do  nothing 
in  this  manner  to  advance  the  cause  of  the  Con- 
federate States. 

Knox  had  a  distinct  method  of  treating  the 
present  problem  ;  and  though  he  commanded 
nothing,  he  thought  he  could  bring  it  about. 
If  he  had  been  in  communication  with  one  of 
the  principal  officers  of  the  squadron,  he  would 
have  stated  his  plan  to  him.  He  had  observed 
a  portion  of  the  ground  not  seen  by  the  others, 
and  could  easily  divine  the  intended  movements 
of  the  commander  of  the  guerillas,  if  there  was 
any  such  personage  among  them.  They  had 
begun  to  move ;  and  Life  thought  it  was  time 
for  him  to  do  the  same.  He  descended  the 
knoll,  and  took  a  position  by  the  side  of  the 
mountain  road,  in  a  clump  of  bushes. 


LIFE   KNOX   ON   THE   MOUNTAIN   ROAD      381 

He  had  hardly  taken  a  favorable  place  to 
observe  the  approach  of  the  brigands,  when  he 
discovered  a  couple  of  men  approaching  from 
the  town,  mounted  and  armed.  They  were  hard- 
looking  ruffians,  and  the  sergeant  did  not  like 
the  appearance  of  them.  He  had  but  a  moment 
to  consider,  and  he  did  his  thinking  on  the 
double-quick.  The  guerillas  could  not  be  aware 
that  a  squadron  of  United  States  cavalry  had 
just  arrived  at  Greeltop.  If  they  had  known 
this  fact  they  would  not  have  come;  and  if  in- 
formed of  it  now,  they  would  take  to  their 
heels,  and  make  the  dust  fly  till  they  reached 
a  safe  retreat. 

The  two  mounted  men  coming  from  the  village 
looked  ugly  and  reckless  enough  to  be  brigands ; 
and  Life  promptly  concluded  that  they  had  heard 
of  the  approach  of  the  marauders,  and  were  going 
out  to  warn  them  of  the  presence  of  the  troops  in 
the  place.  Each  of  them  carried  an  old  flintlock 
gun,  which  might  have  seen  service  in  the  time 
of  Daniel  Boone,  and  had  a  package  strapped  on 
behind  his  saddle.  Possibly  they  belonged  to  the 
band  of  mounted  men,  and  were  going  out  to  join 
them  with  the  important  news  they  had  obtained. 


382  IN    THE    SADDLE 

"Where  are  you  mis  bound?"  demanded  Knox, 
breaking  out  of  his  covert,  and  planting  himself 
in  the  road  in  front  of  them. 

The  Kentuckian  was  as  prudent  as  he  was 
brave ;  but  if  these  brigands  were  permitted  to 
proceed,  the  business  of  the  Riverlawn  Cavalry 
would  be  ended  in  this  immediate  locality  for 
the  present.  The  enemy  before  him  were  two 
to  his  one ;  but  he  did  not  appear  to  take  this 
fact  into  consideration. 

"  Who  are  you  ? "  shouted  the  foremost  of  the 
pair  in  a  ferocious  tone,  as  though  he  expected  to 
frighten  the  stalwart  inquirer,  and  with  a  volley 
of  oaths  which  startled  the  Kentuckian,  who,  mau- 
gre  his  varied  experience,  was  a  high-toned  man 
morally,  and  never  used  any  profane  expletives. 

"  I  am  in  command  of  this  road  jest  now ;  and 
no  one,  not  even  Gov'nor  McGoffin  hisself,  could 
pass  out  the  way  you  uns  is  go'n',"  replied  Life. 

"I  reckon  we  uns  is  gwine  out,"  replied  the 
spokesman  of  the  pair. 

"  I  reckon  not,"  added  the  sergeant,  as  he  seized 
the  bridle  of  the  fellow's  Rosinante,  whisked  him 
around,  pointing  liira  to  the  village,  and  giving 
him  a  slap  to  set  him  going. 


'  The  rufliau  seemed  to  be  as  powerless  as  an  infant  in  his  grasp." 

Page 3S3. 


LIFE   KNOX   ON   THE    MOUNTAIN   ROAD      888 

If  the  brigand  had  any  bad  blood  in  his  veins, 
this  decided  action  was  sufficient  to  make  it  boil ; 
and  he  brought  up  his  old  flintlock,  and  began  to 
point  it  at  the  "  commander  of  that  road  just 
then,"  and  would  no  doubt  have  put  some  of  the 
contents  of  the  rusty  barrel  through  his  head  or 
chest,  if  Life  had  waited  for  him  to  do  so.  He 
did  not;  and  he  did  not  even  take  the  trouble  to 
un sling  the  loaded  carbine  at  his  back,  but,  reach- 
ing up,  seized  the  brigand  by  the  throat,  and 
dragged  him  from  his  horse,  planting  him  very 
solidly  on  the  ground. 

The  ruffian  seemed  to  be  as  powerless  as  an 
infant  in  his  grasp.  Knox  then  snatched  the  gun 
from  his  hands ;  but  the  man,  clinging  to  it,  came 
up  with  it.  The  sergeant  shook  him  off  as  he 
would  a  fly,  and  he  fell  all  in  a  heap  on  the 
ground  again.  Life  tossed  the  weapon  over  the 
fence  into  the  bushes.  The  brigand  sprang  to 
his  feet,  and  with  a  long  knife  in  his  hand 
rushed  upon  his  herculean  assailant. 

Knox  bestowed  a  blow  on  the  arm  with  the 
blade  at  the  end  of  it,  which  was  heavy  enougli 
to  break  the  bone  ;  and  the  weapon  dropped  in  the 
road.     Then  he  seized  the  brigand  by  the  throat 


384  IN   THE    SADDLE 

ao-ain,  and  batted  him  over  the  head  with  his  iron 
fist,  causing  him  to  drop  limp  and  senseless  on 
the  ground.  The  other  ruffian,  who  did  not  seem 
to  be  so  desperate  a  character,  looked  as  though 
he  were  paralyzed  by  the  vigorous  treatment  of 
his  companion;  but  he  had  by  this  time  recovered 
enough  of  his  self-possession  to  think  of  his  own 
safety ;  and  he  attempted  to  run  by  the  Kentuck- 
ian,  in  the  direction  of  the  guerillas. 

"  You're  go'n'  the  wrong  way,  Chopsticks,"  said 
Life,  seizing  the  bridle  of  the  horse,  and  bringing 
him  up  with  a  shock  which  nearly  unseated  the 
rider.  "  You're  bound  for  the  village,  and  that's 
the  way  your  go'n',"  continued  Knox,  as  he  un- 
slung  his  carbine,  standing  in  front  of  the  horse. 

"  I  want  to  go  the  other  way ;  and  I  reckon 
you'll  git  hung  to  one  o'  these  big  trees  for  what 
3^ou've  jest  did,"  said  the  second  ruffian. 

"I  ain't  go'n'  to  hang  jest  yet;  and  you're  go'n' 
back  to  the  village  whether  you  want  to  or  not," 
replied  Knox.  "If  you  move  without  leave  from 
the  commander  of  this  road,  a  ball  from  his  car- 
bine will  worry  its  way  through  that  head  o' 
yourn." 

As  he  spoke,  the  sergeant  wrenched   the    gun 


LIFE   KNOX   ON   THE  MOUNTAIN   ROAD      885 

from  the  hand  of  the  ruffian,  and  tossed  it  after 
the  other.  He  seemed  to  be  enjoying  the  little 
scene  in  which  he  was  the  principal  actor,  and  lie 
was  as  unmoved  as  though  he  had  been  taking 
his  coffee  and  hard-tack  at  a  camp-fire.  The  liorse 
of  the  disabled  brigand  still  stood  within  reach ; 
and,  picking  up  his  first  victim,  he  laid  him,  face 
down,  across  the  saddle,  as  he  would  have  done 
a  bag  of  grain.  Tlien  he  led  the  steed,  with 
his  load,  to  the  side  of  the  uninjured  ruffian,  and 
handed  the  rein  to  him. 

"  Now  you  can  go  back  to  the  village  Avhere 
you  kira  from,  and  take  this  load  of  carri'n  with 
you.  If  you  feel  as  if  you  wanted  to  jine  that 
band  of  ruffins  as  is  comin'  this  way,  the  lead  from 
this  little  piece  will  ketch  you." 

He  hit  the  horse  of  the  rider  a  slap  with  the 
breech  of  liis  carbine,  and  started  him  on  his  way. 
The  sero^eant  was  not  a  reckless  man ;  thouQ-h  for 
the  sake  of  the  old  flag  he  worshipped  he  would 
have  attacked  any  six  men  that  assailed  it.  He 
had  time  now  to  look  out  for  the  business  of  his 
mission,  though  the  scene  described  had  occupied 
but  a  few  minutes  of  his  time.  Taking  the  side 
of  the  road,  he   walked  a  short  distance  in   the 


386  IN   THE   SADDLE 

direction  of  the  mountains,  when  he  heard  the 
tramp  of  the  horses  of  the  ruffian  band 

A  moment  later  he  saw  the  head  of  the  column 
appear  at  a  bend  in  the  road ;  and  it  was  time  for 
him  to  begin  his  retreat.  Taking  to  the  bushes 
in  the  field,  he  made  his  way  back  to  the  valley 
where  Captain  Gordon  was  posted ;  but  he  could 
see  nothing  of  him.  He  was  in  no  hurry,  and  he 
walked  a  short  distance  into  the  valley.  One  of 
the  pickets  showed  himself  then ;  and  Knox  sent 
word  to  the  captain  that  the  guerillas  would  arrive 
in  about  fifteen  minutes. 

Then  he  returned  to  the  road,  and  followed 
it  as  long  as  he  could  see  the  column  of  brigands 
approaching.  He  came  to  a  bend  in  the  high- 
way ;  and  there  he  discovered  the  ruffian  with 
the  "  load  of  carrion"  on  the  led  horse,  with 
Deck   interviewing   him. 

"  You  don't  want  nothin'  o'  that  piece  o'  rot, 
Deck ! "  he  shouted  to  his  mate  on  the  scout. 

"  But  he  says  he  and  his  friend  have  been 
nearly  killed  by  the  ruffians  that  are  coming  to 
take  the  village,  and  been  robbed  of  their  guns," 
replied  Deck,  when  the  sergeant  came  up  to  him. 

"  He  is  a  liar,  and  so  is  the  feller  that  is  takin' 


LIFE   KNOX   ON   THE  MOUNTAIN   BOAD      387 

a  nap  on  the  hoss.  I  did  all  the  mischief  that 
was  done  to  them ;  for  they  was  go'n'  to  tell  the 
cut-throats  yonder  the  last  news  from  Greeltop, 
and  I  thought  it  wasn't  best  for  them  to  go  that 
way.  Drive  on,  Be'lzebub!"  said  the  sergeant, 
as  he  gave  the  horse  a  slap ;  and  he  went  on, 
dragging  the  "load  of   carrion"  along  with  him. 

"Have  you  seen  anything  of  the  guerillas, 
Life?"  asked  Deck. 

"  Seen  the  whole  on  'em ;  and  I  wish  we  had  a 
meal-bag  big  enough  to  hold  the  whole  on  'em, 
and  I'd  put  'em  into  it ;  but  I  reckon  we  shall 
bag  the  whole  on  'em,  if  we  hain't  got  no  sack." 

"  How  many  of  them  are  there,  Life  ?  " 

"  I  reckon  them  two  swinktoms  I  sent  back  be- 
longed to  the  gang ;  and  if  they  had  j'ined  the 
rest  of  the  crowd,  it  would  'a'  made  thirty 
mounted  men,"  replied  Knox.  "  But  thej^'ve  got 
as  many  more  without  bosses  or  mules.  They're 
a  jolly  lot  o'  rag' muffins.  You'll  see  'em  in  a 
few  minutes ;  but  I'll  ride  back  and  tell  the  major 
about  it.  You  stay  here,  and  keep  out  o'  sight ; 
for  we  don't  want  any  of  the  blocusses  to  see 
one  of  our  uniforms,  for  that  would  sp'ile  the 
stew  all  to  onct." 


888  IN   THE   SADDLE 

Knox  arranged  this  matter  with  Deck  while 
he  was  mounting  his  horse.  He  went  off  at  full 
gallop  clown  the  slope,  and  turned  into  the  road 
that  led  by  the  front  of  Colonel  Coffee's  house. 
He  found  the  second  platoon  of  his  company- 
posted  a  short  distance  from  the  corner.  He 
saw  the  major  and  his  party,  including  Mr. 
Elbroon  and  some  other  citizens  of  the  place, 
and  dashed  up  to  them  with  a  grand  flourish, 
saluting  his  commander  as  he  did  so.  Life  was 
in  high  feather,  and  thought  it  in  order  to  make 
a  proper  impression  upon  the  spectators,  of  whom 
not  a  few  had  gathered  near  the  spot,  perhaps 
expecting  to  see  a  battle. 

The  sergeant  reported  to  the  major,  who  had 
withdrawn  himself  from  his  friends,  giving  the 
number  and  present  location  of  the  advancing 
gang ;  but  no  one  else  was  permitted  to  hear 
him. 

"  I  reckon  I  oughtn't  to  say  nothin'  more. 
Major  Lyon  ;  but  I'm  afeerd  some  o'  them  blo- 
cusses  will  git  off ;  and  it  would  do  the  whole 
crowd  good  to  hang  'em  higher'n  Haman." 

"  We  will  attend  to  the  hanging,  if  there  is 
to  be  an}^,  after  the  fight;  but  if  you  have  any 


LIFE   KNOX   OX   THE   MOUNTAIN    ROAD      389 

suggestion  to  make,  Knox,  I  will  hear  it,"  re- 
plied   the  commander. 

"  I  left  Deck  squarin'  the  great  circle  round 
the  corner;  and  he'll  let  you  know  jest  as  soon 
as  the  gang  comes  in  sight." 

"  We  will  attend  to  them  as  soon  as  we  get 
the  opportunity,"  added  the  major  rather  im- 
patiently. 

"  I'm  afeerd  you  won't  hit  'em  jest  right ;  for 
I  believe  you  can  bag  the  whole  on  'em.  That 
circle's  a  holy  good  place  for  a  fight,  and  "  — 

"  Station  yourself  at  the  corner,  Knox,  and 
make  a  signal  when  it  is  the  right  time  for  the 
platoon  to  advance,"  interposed  the  commander, 
who  thought  the  Kentuckian  was  making  a  long 
story  of  it. 

"  Good,  Major !  "  exclaimed  Life,  who  had  the 
matter  as  he  wanted  it  now ;  and  he  dashed  off 
for  the  corner. 


390  IN   THE   SADDLE 


.      CHAPTER   XXXII 

THE   SKIRlVnSH   IN   THE    GREAT   CIRCLE 

Probably  the  leader  of  the  marauders  hurried 
the  march  of  his  followers  as  the  Falstaffian  col- 
umn approached  the  village,  in  order  to  prevent 
tlie  news  of  their  coming'  from  beinsr  circulated 
too  soon.  At  any  rate,  Deck  came  down  the  slope 
at  the  best  si)eed  Ceph  could  make  some  time 
before  the  sei'geant  expected  to  see  him. 

"Coming,  be  they.  Deck?"  inquired  he  when 
Deck  reined  in  before  him. 

'•  They  are  hurrying  up,  pounding  their  horses 
with  their  heels  and  the  butts  of  their  guns,"  re- 
plied Deck.  "  I  don't  believe  there  is  a  nag  in  the 
procession  that  can  make  over  six  miles  an  hour." 

"  Have  they  left  the  blocusses  on  foot  behind?  " 

"■  No  ;  but  I  fancy  they  are  about  out  of  wind  by 
this  time,  for  they  are  running  to  keep  up." 

"  All  right.  Deck.  I  have  seen  your  pa,  and 
you  can  go  down  and  tell  him  all  you  know ;   for 


THE    SKIRMISH    IN    THE    GREAT    CIRCLE      391 

I  am  posted  here  to  signal  him  when  the  right 
time  for  him  to  move  has  come." 

Deck  obeyed  the  order;  but  he  had  nothing 
special  to  report,  except  the  nearer  approach  of  tlie 
ruffians.  He  fell  back  when  he  had  said  what  he 
had  to  say,  and  watched  eagerly  for  the  signal 
from  the  sergeant.  He  was  to  keep  near  the 
major,  to  carry  his  orders  if  any  were  to  be  sent 
out;  but  this  would  not  prevent  him  from  taking 
part  in  the  fight.  Even  his  father  had  provided 
himself  with  a  sabre,  which  he  was  ready  to  wield 
in  the  conflict  if  occasion  required ;  not  otherwise. 
The  carbines  of  the  platoon  had  been  unslung,  and 
the  men  were  in  readiness  to  fire  a  volley  when 
the  time  came. 

"  There  is  Knox's  signal,  father !  "  exclaimed 
Deck,  as  the  major  had  turned  away  to  answer  a 
question  of  the  colonel. 

The  commander  had  seen  the  sergeant  wav- 
ing his  cap  very  vigorously  at  the  corner.  The 
time  had  come.  The  colonel  and  the  clergy- 
man, with  those  surrounding  them,  were  the  only 
ones  who  were  excited.  The  platoon  was  as 
steady  as  though  it  was  to  march  to  a  prayer- 
meeting. 


392  IN    THE   SADDLE 

"Gallop  —  marcli !  "  said  the  major  to  Lieuten- 
ant Gilder,  who  was  in  command  of  the  body. 

Both  the  magnate  and  the  minister  had  pro- 
vided themselves  with  rifles,  and  insisted  upon 
doing  their  share  of  the  figliting,  though  ]\Iajor 
Lyon  assured  them  that  he  had  force  enough  to 
handle  double  that  of  the  enemy.  The  lieutenant 
gave  the  orders  in  detail,  and  the  command  was 
off  in  a  moment.  The  major  rode  on  the  flank  of 
the  platoon,  and  the  citizens  followed  him.  Deck 
kept  at  the  side  of  his  father.  Artie  was  with  the 
captain;  and  his  office  was  to  carry  any  report  or 
information  to  the  major,  if  the  circumstances 
should  require. 

We  prefer  to  look  through  the  eyes  of  Deck  at 
the  scene  that  followed.  As  soon  as  he  reached 
the  corner,  somewhat  in  advance  of  the  bodj'- 
of  the  company,  he  discovered  the  enemy.  The 
mounted  men  were  riding  at  the  best  speed  of  the 
miserable  animals  on  which  they  were  mounted; 
and  very  soon  they  reached  what  Knox  called  "the 
great  circle,"  which  was  laid  out  to  set  off  tho 
grand  entrance  to  Greeltop,  the  name  of  the  estate 
of  the  colonel ;  and  the  village  had  taken  its  des- 
ignation from  the  stately    mansion  and   grounds. 


THE    SKIRMISH    IN    THE   GREAT    CIRCLE       393 

Before  they  reached  this  arena,  they  set  up  a 
series  of  frightful  yells,  evidently  intended  to  in- 
timidate the  people  of  the  village,  and  make  them 
believe  that  the  imps  of  fhe  infernal  regions  had 
all  broken  in  upon  them  at  once. 

The  avenue  was  very  wide,  and  the  platoon  re- 
solved itself  into  "  company  front "  at  the  com- 
mand of  the  lieutenant.  This  was  the  first  view 
the  enemy  had  of  the  Union  force  waiting  for 
them.  The  body  advanced  at  a  gallop,  till  the 
officer  reduced  the  speed,  and  then  formed  them 
in  a  double  rank.  Lieutenant  Gilder  gave  the 
orders  in  detail,  which  resulted  in  a  volley,  before 
which  half-a-dozen  saddles  were  emptied. 

"Sling  —  carbine!"  shouted  the  lieutenant  be- 
fore the  smoke  enabled  the  men  to  see  what  execu- 
tion they  had  executed.     "  Draw  —  sabre  !  " 

As  the  smoke  rolled  away  the  enemy  was  seen 
to  be  badly  broken  up,  and  the  leader  was  using 
his  best  efforts  to  rally  his  undisciplined  soldiers. 
But  his  men  had  fired  as  soon  as  they  saw  the 
troopers  in  front  of  them,  and  two  of  the  latter 
had  been  wounded.  The  volley  had  hardly  been 
discharged  by  the  portion  of  the  company  in  front 
of  the  marauders,  when  Captain  Gordon  was  seen 


394  IN   THE   SADDLE 

at  the  head  of  his  men.  He  drew  them  up  in 
such  a  position  as  to  avoid  sending  the  bullets 
into  the  midst  of  the  other  portion  of  his  com- 
pany. 

Another  volley  followed  from  his  men ;  and 
more  of  the  wretches  in  front  of  them  dropped 
from  their  saddles,  or  fell  over  if  they  were  not 
mounted.  A  panic  seized  the  enemy;  and  the 
major  ordered  his  lieutenant  not  to  charge  upon 
the  guerillas  in  accordance  with  the  usual  pro- 
gramme of  the  squadron. 

"  Dexter  !  "  called  the  commander. 

"  Here,  Major ! "  replied  the  orderly  promptly, 
as  he  saluted  the  commander,  with  his  drawn 
sabre  ready  for  the  charge. 

"  Ride  around  the  flank  of  the  enemy  as  quick 
as  you  can,  and  give  Captain  Gordon  my  order 
not  to  charge  till  I  send  him  word,"  said  the 
major.  "  Be  careful  of  yourself,  and  return  if 
you  find  the  passage  dangerous." 

It  did  not  look  like  a  perilous  undertaking 
to  tlie  father,  or  he  would  not  have  sent  his  son 
with  the  message.  The  action  had  come  to  look 
like  a  mere  butchery  to  him,  and  he  was  not  will- 
ing to  engage  in  any  inhuman  slaughter.     Deck 


THE    SKIRMISH   IN   THE   GREAT   CIRCLE      395 

dashed  along  the  front  of  the  company ;  for  there 
was  a  space  of  at  least  a  hundred  feet  between 
them  and  the  enemy.  The  unmounted  men  were 
crushing  in  a  mass  to  get  behind  the  horses ; 
for  they  expected  another  murderous  volley. 

Deck  forced  his  horse  into  the  broad  gutter; 
for  Ceph  was  more  inclined  to  leap  into  the 
crowd  of  guerillas,  as  he  had  been  trained  to 
do.  He  saw  the  captain  several  rods  from  him, 
and  he  urged  his  steed  forward  to  reach  him. 
His  uniform  seemed  to  be  a  hateful  sight  to 
the  banditti ;  and  a  couple  of  them  rushed  in 
front  of  him  to  intercept  his  passage.  One  of 
them  raised  his  musket  to  fire  at  him ;  but  the 
intrepid  trooper  struck  it  down  with  his  sabre. 
The  other  did  not  attempt  to  shoot  him,  and 
probably  his  gun  was  not  loaded.  Both  of  the 
men  kept  their  places  in  front  of  him,  and  were 
trying  to  beat  him  down  with  their  clubbed 
weapons. 

This  was  just  the  sport  for  Ceph  ;  and,  at  the 
right  signal  from  his  rider,  he  made  a  spring  into 
the  air,  with  the  evident  intention  of  leaping  over 
the  obstacle  in  front  of  him.  At  the  same  time 
Deck  made  a  vigorous  use  of  his  sabre,  and  hit 


396  IN   THE    SADDLE 

the  foremost  of  the  men  hi  the  head,  Avhich 
caused  him  to  spread  himself  out  on  the  ground. 
Ceph  went  clear  over  the  othei",  and  the  rider  gave 
him  a  blow  with  the  weapon  in  his  hand  as  he 
did  so. 

Ceph  went  flying  the  rest  of  the  way ;  and  the 
guerillas  did  not  attempt  to  stop  him.  The  young 
horseman  had  a  good  chance  to  see  the  condition 
of  the  enemy  at  a  glance.  The  footmen  had 
hemmed  in  the  horses  in  their  efforts  to  escape 
the  expected  bullets ;  and  there  was  no  question 
in  his  mind  that  the  horde  had  already  been 
effectually  defeated.  If  the  sergeant's  big  bag 
had  been  ready,  they  were  all  ready  to  go  into 
it. 

"  Good  Heaven,  Deck  !  "  exclaimed  Captain 
Gordon,  rushing  up  to  him  with  all  the  speed  of 
his  horse.     "Did  you  cut  through  the  enemy?" 

"Not  exactW,  Captain,"  replied  Deck.  "I  am 
here  to  deliver  to  you  Major  Lyon's  order  not 
to  charge  the  enemy  without  a  special  order  to 
that  effect." 

"  I  haven't  given  that  order  yet,  for  the  enemy 
are  about  crushed  alread}' ;  but  I  intended  to  fol- 
low up  the  charge  of  the  rest  of  the  company  on 


THE    SKIRxMISH   IN   THE   GKEAT   CIRCLE      397 

the  other  side.  But  I  saw  you,  Deck,  engaged 
against  tAVO  men  in  front  of  you  only  a  few 
minutes  ago ;  and  I  was  about  to  order  the  platoon 
to  charge  in  order  to  rescue  you.  I  thought  the 
i  first  company  had  lost  one  of  its  best  soldiers 
then." 

"  But  I  have  come  through  all  right.  Captain," 
added  Deck,  laughing  at  the  excitement  of  his 
officer.  "  Ceph  always  does  me  a  good  turn  when 
I  get  into  a  tight  place,  and  he  did  this  time." 

"  There  come  some  more  of  the  men  from  the 
other  side  of  the  house,"  added  the  captain,  as  he 
pointed  to  the  way  the  orderly  had  come. 

Deck  looked,  and  saw  Life  Knox,  with  a 
dozen  troopers,  rushing  along  the  gutter  through 
which  he  had  come ;  but  the  guerillas  did  not 
attempt  to  molest  them,  for  they  were  formidable 
enough  to  have  beaten  the  whole  squad  of  the 
enemy,  even  before  they  had  lost  a  man. 

"  Major  Lyon  sent  me  after  you,  Deck,"  said  the 
sergeant,  as  he  stopped  his  horse  in  front  of  him. 
"You  had  a  narrow  squeak  of  it  that  time,  my 
boy." 

"  No,  I  didn't.  Life ;  what's  the  use  of  making 
such  a  to-do  about  nothing  ?     I'm  all  right,"  re- 


398  IN   THE    SADDLE 

plied  Deck,  who  thought  his  fatlier  and  the  rest 
of  them  were  treating  him  like  an  infant. 

"  But  your  pa  was  tearing  his  hair  like  a 
mother  that  had  lost  her  baby,  to  think  he  had 
sent  you  into  such  a  tight  place,"  added  Knox. 
"  He  would  'a'  sent  the  whole  company  after  you 
in  two  mintues  more.  But  you  are  safe,  and  I 
thought  you'd  gone  to  feed  the  worms  sure." 

"  The  worms  will  not  dine  on  me  just  yet.  I 
am  going  back  now  to  my  place  on  the  other  side 
of  the  enemy,"  said  Deck.  "  You  can  come  when 
you  get  ready,  Life." 

As  he  spoke  he  wheeled  his  trusty  steed,  and 
intimated  to  him  that  he  was  ready ;  whereupon 
Ceph  made  a  spring,  and  darted  off  at  a  breakneck 
speed. 

"  Hold  on.  Baby !  "  shouted  the  sergeant,  call- 
ing him  by  a  name  he  had  used  before,  to  which 
Deck  did  not  object  as  long  as  the  Kentuckian 
did  not  treat  him  like  an  infant.  "  We  uns  kim 
over  to  escort  you  back !  " 

"  Obey  your  orders,  Life,"  returned  the  furious 
young  rider,  without  even  looking  behind  him. 

Knox  started  after  him  with  all  the  hurry  there 
vva.s  in  his  steed  ;  but  there  was  hardly  a  horse  in 


THE   SKIPwMISH  IN  THE  GREAT   CIRCLE      399 

the  squadi'on  that  could  run  as  fast  as  Ceph,  for 
he  had  been  trained  to  this  branch  of  his  equine 
profession  as  a  racer.  But  none  of  the  guerillas 
were  disposed  to  meddle  with  him  again ;  and  per- 
haps the  two  who  liad  attacked  him  before  had 
mistaken  his  intentions.  He  rode  into  the  pres- 
ence of  the  major,  saluted  him  gracefully;  and 
the  cavalrymen  who  had  witnessed  his  encounter 
broke  out  in  a  cheer. 

"  Captain  Gordon  replied  that  he  did  not  give 
the  order  to  charge,  because  he  was  waiting  for 
you  to  begin  on  this  side  of  the  enemy,"  said 
Deck. 

"  Thank  Heaven  that  you  are  safe,  Dexter !  " 
replied  the  father  devoutly. 

"  Heaven  and  Ceph,"  added  the  young  hero. 

The  father  was  busy  just  then,  and  he  said 
no  more.  As  soon  as  Deck  had  started  with 
his  message.  Major  Lyon  realized  that  the  action 
would  become  a  slaughter,  and  he  was  anxious 
to  stay  the  flow  of  blood.  He  was  not  willing 
to  cut  down  the  men  in  front  of  him  with  the 
sabres  of  his  soldiers;  for  they  appeared  to  be 
helpless,  as  much  from  panic  as  from  the  want 
of  proper  arms. 


400  IN  THE   SADDLE 

"  Do  you  surrender  ?  "  he  shouted  at  the  top 
of  his  lungs,  directing  his  voice  to  the  mass  of 
the  wretches  gathered  in  the  centre  of  the  great 
circle. 

No  one  answered  him,  and  probably  no  one 
heard  him.  He  ordered  Lieutenant  Gilder  to 
move  his  men  forward  very  slowly.  This  officer 
was  in  front  of  his  troopers;  and  he  led  the  way 
as  directed,  the  major  remaining  on  the  flank. 

The  lieutenant  raised  his  white  handkerchief 
on  his  sabre,  and  waved  it  in  the  air  to  indicate 
his  peaceful  intentions.  When  he  had  gone  half 
the  distance  to  the  enemj^,  he  halted  the  platoon. 

"Do  you  surrender?"  he  shouted  at  the  top 
of  his  voice. 

The  answer  was  the  discharge  of  half-a-dozen 
muskets  by  the  mounted  guerillas  who  held  the 
front  of  the  mass.  Lieutenant  Gilder  dropped 
from  his  horse  to  the  ground;  and  something 
like  a  confused  cheer  went  up  from  the  men 
who  had  fired  the  volley.  Sergeant  Knox  was 
the  next  in  command ;  and,  pushing  his  horse  to 
the  front,  he  waved  his  sabre  in  the  air. 

"  Draw  —  pistol !  "  he  cried.  "  Ready  —  aim 
—  fire!" 


THE    SKIRMISH   IN   THE   GREAT   CIRCLE      401 

The  pistols  were  all  ready  for  use,  and  the 
men  fii'ed  them  into  the  front  rank  of  the  enemy, 
which  seemed  to  contain  all  tlie  fighting  ability 
there  was  left  in  the  band.  They  were  reloading 
their  old  guns ;  but  some  of  them  did  not  live 
to  complete  the  operation.  Dr.  Farnwright,  who 
had  been  near  the  major,  rushed  forward,  and 
Knox  sent  two  men  to  assist  him.  Regardless 
of  the  danger  of  the  position,  the  surgeon  rushed 
to  the  front  to  attend  to  the  lieutenant. 

"  Platoon  —  charge ! "  shouted  the  sergeant,  afraid 
that  the  work  of  the  doctor  would  be  impeded  by 
the  senseless  operations  of  the  mob. 

The  troopers,  with  the  sergeant  in  front  of 
them,  darted  at  the  mass  of  banditti  in  the  circle ; 
but  they  fell  back  only  to  precipitate  themselves 
upon  the  command  of  Captain  Gordon  behind 
them.  At  this  moment  Major  Lyon  ordered  his 
bugler  to  sound  the  recall.  The  soldiers  fell  back 
only  a  very  short  distance  in  obedience  to  the 
signal,  and  they  had  hardly  struck  a  blow.  They 
held  the  enemy  where  they  were. 


402  IN  THE   SADDLE 


CHAPTER   XXXIII    ' 

CAPTAIN   STINGER   THE   FIRE-EATER 

As  soon  as  Dr.  Farnwright  reached  the  pros- 
trate form  of  Lieutenant  Gilder,  he  shook  his 
head  as  he  glanced  at  the  major;  for  the  advance 
of  the  platoon  had  left  them  in  the  rear.  He 
examined  his  patient,  who  had  passed  beyond 
human  aid.  The  ball  had  struck  him  in  the  chest, 
and  had  doubtless  penetrated  his  heart.  His  body 
was  borne  to  the  rear.  Major  Lyon  was  sad  ;  but 
the  loss  of  the  noble  young  man  did  not  affect 
him  as  it  did  the  sergeant,  for  there  was  notliing 
revengeful  in  his  nature. 

Knox  was  disposed  to  annihilate  the  rabble  in 
front  of  him ;  but  he  was  an  obedient  soldier, 
though  he  had  ordered  the  discharge  of  pistols 
without  orders ;  for  the  firing  of  the  ruffians, 
and  especially  the  fall  of  the  gallant  lieutenant, 
seemed  to  render  any  commands  unnecessary. 
The  major  directed  him  to  move  his  platoon  for- 


CAPTAIN   STINGER   THE   FIRE-EATER         403 

ward,  and  he  kept  on  the  flank  himself  as  he 
did  so. 

Half-a-dozen  of  the  enemy  attempted  to  run  by 
the  troopers  on  the  side  of  the  colonel's  house, 
where  Deck  had  passed  the  mob;  and  the  ser- 
geant ordered  a  file  of  his  men  to  arrest  them. 
Only  two  of  them  had  a  musket  in  their  hands, 
and  one  of  them  had  a  sword  at  his  side.  Major 
Lyon  observed  the  movement,  and  ordered  the 
man  with  the  side  arm  to  be  brous^ht  to  him. 
Most  of  the  soldiers  thought  the  commander  was 
too  tender  of  such  a  horde  of  ruffians  ;  but  he 
regarded  it  as  little  better  than  murder  to  shoot 
or  cut  down  the  enemy,  now  entirely  in  his  power. 

The  man  wearing  the  sword  appeared  to  be  of  a 
better  class  of  citizens  than  the  majority  of  the 
freebooters.  He  Avore  a  neat  business  suit,  and 
was  rather  small  in  stature.  He  held  his  head  up 
with  something  like  dignity  in  his  bearing,  and 
bestowed  frequent  glances  upon  his  companions  in 
arms  whom  he  had  deserted.  The  five  others  were 
put  under  guard  where  they  were  captured,  and 
informed  that  they  would  be  shot  if  they  at- 
tempted to  escape.  A  couple  of  soldiers  drove 
the  one  called  for  over  to  the  commander. 


404  IN   THE   SADDLE 

"Who  and  what  are  you?"  demanded  the 
major,  without  any  savagery  in  his  voice  or 
manner. 

"  I  am  Lieutenant  Garbold  ;  and  I  am  second  in 
command  of  the  force  in  front  of  you,"  replied  the 
prisoner  civilly  enough. 

"  And  you  have  deserted  your  companions  in 
arms?"  added  the  commander. 

"  Yes,  if  you  choose  to  call  it  by  that  name  ; 
but  Captain  Stinger  and  myself  disagreed,  and  I 
was  not  willing  to  stand  there  and  be  shot  down 
by  about  three  times  our  own  number,"  replied 
Garbold. 

"Are  you  and  the  other  man  provided  with 
commissions  from  any  source?" 

"  Not  yet ;  but  we  claim  to  be  in  the  service  of 
the  Confederate  States  of  America,  waiting  for 
our  commissions,  and  for  our  men  to  be  mustered 
in.     We  belong  to  the  regular  service." 

"  Hardly,"  added  the  major,  with  something  as 
near  like  a  sneer  as  he  could  gather  about  his 
mouth.  "  You  will  excuse  me  if  I  regard  you 
simply  as  unorganized  freebooters,  land  pirates. 
Your  mission  is  to  rob  and  outrage  the  citizens 
of   this  village;    and  the    ringleaders   ought   not 


CAPTAIN   STINGEE,   THE   FIRE-EATER         405 

to  object  to  being  hung  on  the  first  convenient 
tree." 

"We  don't  rob  nor  injure  any  true  citizens  of 
Kentucky,"  replied  Garbold  rather  sullenly.  "As 
to  hanging  any  of  us,  we  are  willing  to  die  in  the 
good  cause  ;  and  two  Yankee  officers  will  swing 
for  every  one  of  us  you  serve  in  that  way." 

"  That  question  can  be  settled  later  in  the  day, 
and  our  business  is  with  the  present  moment," 
added  Major  Lyon  with  becoming  dignity.  "  Who 
commands  that  rabble  in  front  of  us  ?  " 

"  Captain  Jeruel  Stinger." 

"  Upon  what  did  you  disagree  with  him  ?  " 

"  To  explain  my  own  action,  and  not  to  gratify 
your  curiosity,  I  will  answer  the  question,"  re- 
plied Garbold,  who  evidently  intended  to  be  as 
"  gamy  "  as  one  who  had  run  away  from  his  com- 
mand could  be.  "I  was  not  in  favor  of  stand- 
ing there  and  allowing  our  men  to  be  butchered 
after  resistance  was  useless.  I  said  as  much  to 
Stinger,  and  I  told  him  I  should  step  out." 

"  You  were  sensible,"  replied  the  major.  "  I 
am  not  disposed  to  sacrifice  your  men  if  it  can  be 
avoided.  Is  Captain  Stinger  still  of  the  same 
mind?  " 


406  IN   THE   SADDLE 

"I  presume  he  is.  He  is  an  out-and-out  fire- 
eater;  and  there  is  no  more  reason  in  him  than 
there  is  in  a  mule." 

"  The  night  is  coming  on,  and  we  have  no  time 
to  trifle  with  the  question.  If  you  will  return  to 
Captain  Stinger  with  a  squad  of  troopers  under 
a  flag  of  truce,  I "  — 

"  Me  !  "  exclaimed  Garbold.  "  Stinger  would 
shoot  me  at  siglit.  I  will  not  go.  I  had  rather 
be  hanged  by  the  enemy  than  shot  by  my  friends," 
interposed  Garbold. 

"  Then  the  loss  of  any  more  of  your  men  must 
rest  on  your  shoulders,  and  not  on  mine.  Take 
him  away,"  replied  the  commander. 

Major  Lyon  was  still  unwilling  to  charge  upon 
the  rabble ;  for  they  had  ceased  to  fire  their  rusty 
firelocks.  It  was  getting  dark,  and  something 
must  be  done.  He  called  Deck,  and  gave  him  a 
mass  of  instructions,  which  the  orderly  took  in 
without  any  repetitions,  for  Captain  Gordon.  Col- 
onel Coffee  volunteered  to  conduct  the  messenger 
though  his  grounds  to  a  gate  near  the  position  of 
the  other  portion  of  the  company ;  and  Deck  de- 
livered his  message.  He  was  rather  sorry  he  was 
not  permitted  to  proceed  as  he  had  before ;  for  he 


CAPTAIN   STINGER   THE   FIRE-EATER         407 

had  abundant  confidence  in  his  ability  to  take  care 
of  himself. 

The  commander  rode  up  a  bank  at  the  side  of 
the  road,  where  he  could  see  over  the  heads  of  the 
enemy  as  soon  as  his  son  returned  to  him.  A 
moment  later  he  saw  Captain  Gordon  deploy  a 
line  of  skirmishers,  which  extended  entirely  across 
the  broad  avenue,  with  another  rank  behind  them. 
Both  advanced  in  slow  time,  with  none  of  the  fury 
of  a  regular  charge  ;  but  it  was  soon  evident  that 
they  "  meant  business." 

Captain  Stinger  seemed  to  be  confused,  and 
failed  to  understand  the  slow  movement  of  his 
foe,  and  gave  no  orders.  At  the  same  time,  and 
in  the  same  manner.  Sergeant  Knox  led  his  men 
forward ;  and  the  "  fire-eater"  in  command  of  the 
rabble  could  not  help  seeing  that  his  command 
was  to  be  pinched  between  the  two  approaching 
bodies  of  troopers.  Life  kept  himself  well  in  ad- 
vance of  his  skirmishers;  and  possibly  he  felt  more 
like  a  brigadier-general  than  ever  before  in  his 
life.  He  watched  the  enemy  with  the  eye  of  an 
eagle  ready  to  swoop  down  upon  his  prey. 

Captain  Stinger  evidently  realized  that  if  his 
men  fired  in  either  direction,  the  troopers  would 


408  IN   THE   SADDLE 

charge  upon  them,  and  it  would  be  but  the  work 
of  a  minute  or  two  to  slaughter  the  whole  of  them. 
He  was  seen  to  make  a  gesture  to  a  man  who  was 
preparing  to  fire  witliout  orders,  and  the  ruffian 
refrained  from  doing  so.  He  plainly  knew  not 
what  to  do,  since  there  was  nothing  he  could  do. 
But  when  the  front  rank  of  Knox  was  within 
twenty  feet  of  him,  with  the  sergeant  ahead  of  it, 
he  seemed  to  be  unable  to  "hold  in"  any  longer, 
and  unslung  the  rifle  at  his  back. 

Knox  saw  that  he  was  to  be  the  first  victim  of 
the  irate  fire-eater;  and  he  jammed  his  heels  into 
the  flanks  of  his  spirited  steed,  the  animal  mak- 
ing a  long  spring,  which  brought  him  up  with  the 
front  line  of  the  enemy.  Still  pressing  the  steed 
forward,  he  upset  two  or  three  men,  and  brouglit 
up,  when  the  horse  could  go  no  farther,  alongside 
the  captain. 

The  doughty  sergeant  did  not  wait  to  trifle  with 
any  weapons,  but,  leaning  over,  he  seized  the  cap- 
tain by  the  collar  of  his  coat,  dragged  him  from 
his  horse,  and  placed  him  across  his  holsters. 
Bending  over  his  victim,  he  held  him  in  his  place 
by  the  pressure  of  his  body,  while  he  wheeled  his 
horse,  and  made  his  way  out  of  the  crowd. 


CAPTAIN   STINGER   THE   FIEE-EATEE,         409 

"  Take  'em  that  way !  "  he  shouted  to  the  men. 

But  there  was  hardly  one  of  them  who  had  the 
physical  strength  to  accomplish  such  a  feat,  though 
they  soon  grappled  with  the  guerillas,  and  dragged 
them  out  of  the  melee.  The  men  on  the  other 
side  of  the  enemy  resorted  to  the  same  sort  of  tac- 
tics, which  was  not  laid  down  in  the  regular  man- 
ual for  the  instruction  of  the  cavalry. 

Captain  Stinger  was  not  a  model  Kentuckian 
physically  any  more  than  his  lieutenant ;  if  he  had 
been,  Knox  could  hardly  have  handled  him  so 
conveniently.  The  pressure  of  the  sergeant's 
chest  upon  his  backbone  had  a  tendency  to  tame 
him ;  but  he  was  trying  to  get  at  some  weapon  con- 
cealed upon  his  person.  Knox  had  his  pockets 
under  command,  and  took  two  revolvers  from 
them,  which  he  thrust  into  his  breast.  He  had 
his  sabre  dangling  by  the  tassel  knot  at  his  right 
wrist,  while  he  held  the  reins  with  his  left  hand. 
His  right  was  at  liberty  to  seize  the  pistols. 

He  hurried  his  horse  to  the  place  where  the 
guards  had  the  six  prisoners  in  charge.  There 
he  hurled  his  victim  to  the  ground,  and  ordered 
the  men  to  look  out  for  him,  and  not  let  him  es- 
cape, if  they  had  to   put   a   bullet  through  him. 


410  IN   THE   SADDLE 

The  sentinels  were  all  mounted ;  and,  as  the  last 
prisoner  had  been  disarmed,  there  was  no  danger 
that  he  would  run  away. 

Knox  returned  to  his  command ;  but,  as  he  ex- 
pressed it,  "  the  fun  had  all  gone  out  of  the  gue- 
rillas," and  it  was  hardly  necessary  to  drag  out 
any  more  of  them,  for  they  were  all  as  tame  as 
sick  kittens.  The  men  had  secured  about  a  dozen 
of  them,  taking  them  to  the  guard-house,  as  they 
called  the  locality  of  the  captives.  The  major  had 
followed  up  the  movement,  and  he  could  not 
refrain  from  laughing  at  the  novel  tactics  of  the 
first  sergeant. 

He  directed  Knox  to  fall  back  with  his  men, 
and  sent  Deck  to  the  captain  to  drive  the  remain- 
ing freebooters  before  him.  The  ruffians  moved 
before  them  at  the  order  of  the  officer.  They 
were  halted  in  the  middle  of  the  square,  and  there 
disarmed,  those  who  had  not  thrown  away  their 
weapons.  While  the  commander  was  observ- 
ing this  ceremony,  a  trooper  rode  up,  and  saluted 
him. 

"A  message  from  Captain  Truman,"  said  the 
cavalryman  as  he  did  so. 

"  What  is  it?"  demanded  the  major,  fearful  that 


CAPTAIN   STINGER   THE   FIEE-EATEP.         411 

the  second  company  had  been  attacked  by  a  supe- 
rior force,  and  needed  a  re-enforcement. 

"  A  messenger  came  from  a  place  called  Plain 
Hill,  saying  that  a  band  of  mounted  men  was 
approaching  the  village,  and  they  feared  the  place 
would  be  plundered,"  replied  the  messenger. 
"  Captain  Truman  has  just  marched  for  the  place, 
leaving  only  a  guard  at  the  camp." 

"All  right;  his  action  is  approved,  and  I  hope 
he  will  get  there  in  season  to  capture  the  enemy, 
as  we  have  done  here,"  replied  Major  Lyon,  as  he 
looked  about  him  for  Colonel  Coffee  and  Mr. 
Elbroon.     "Where  is  the  colonel.  Dexter?" 

"  He  is  looking  over  the  prisoners  as  they  bring 
them  in,"  replied  Deck. 

The  major  rode  over  to  him.  Most  of  the 
prisoners  were  tame  and  submissive ;  but  the 
fire-eater  and  his  lieutenant  were  figuratively 
at  swords'  points :  and  it  Avas  fortunate  for  one 
or  both  of  them  that  they  had  been  disarmed, 
for  the  former  had  pitched  into  the  latter  with 
his  fists,  and  the  guards  had  been  obliged  to 
pull  them  apart. 

"  That  Captain  Stinger  wanted  to  be  sent  to 
Congress  before  the  war ;  but  the  people  wouldn't 


412  IN   THE   SADDLE 

do  it.     He  is  a  politician,  and  a  miscliievous  cur," 
said  the  colonel,  when  he  saw  the  major  at  his  side. 

"  Put  him  in  irons,  or  tie  his  arms  behind  him, 
Styles,"  said  the  commander,  addressing  the  ser- 
geant of  the  guard,  "  if  he  don't  behave  himself. 
I  have  a  message  from  the  camp.  Colonel  Coffee," 
continued  he,  turning  to  the  magnate  of  Greeltop. 
"  Where  is  Plain  Hill,  sir  ?  " 

"  Five  miles  to  the  south  of  us,  Major ;  a  village 
about  the  size  of  Greeltop.  Any  news  from  there?" 
inquired  the  colonel  witli  decided  interest. 

"  Caj^tain  Truman,  of  our  second  company, 
whom  I  left  at  the  camp,  has  had  a  message 
from  the  place,  to  the  effect  that  a  band  of  gueril- 
las were  approaching  the  place ;  and  lie  marched 
at  once  with  all  his  company  but  a  camp-guard." 

"  Good  !  "  exclaimed  the  magnate. 

"  Heaven  be  praised !  "  added  the  reverend 
gentleman  with  a  gun  in  his  liand.  "  It  is  a 
mercy  that  your  company  was  at  hand." 

"  Good !  I  say,"  almost  shouted  Captain  Stinger. 
"  Heaven  be  praised  that  Vinegold  is  getting 
there !     Our  praj'^ers  will  all  go  the  same  way !  " 

The  fire-eater  was  near  enough  to  hear  what 
the  major  said. 


CAPTAIN   STINGER   THE  FIEE-EATER         413 

"I  only  hope  he  will  burn  every  house  in  the 
place,"  added  the  captain.  "There  is  not  such 
another  nest  of  traitors  in  Kentucky,  unless  Greel- 
top  is  the  other." 

"  Who  is  Vinegold,  Captain  Stinger  ?  "  asked 
the  commander. 

"  Major  Vinegold  is  a  man  after  my  own  heart," 
answered  the  prisoner. 

"  If  he  is  your  friend,  you  ^yill  be  likely  to  see 
him  before  morning,"  added  the  major,  as  he 
turned  away. 

■The  prisoners  were  placed  in  the  centre  of  the 
united  company,  and  marched  to  the  camp  just  as 
the  darkness  was  beginning  to  gather  on  the  land- 
scape. All  the  people  in  Greeltop  were  in  the 
roads,  and  greeted  the  soldiers  with  applause  and 
cheers  as  they  marched  b}^  them.  The  officers 
and  most  of  the  privates  were  loaded  with  bou- 
quets on  the  way. 

Several  times  the  magnate,  who  returned  to  the 
camp  with  the  troopers,  began  to  tell  the  com- 
mander something  about  Plain  Hill  ;  but  tlie 
cheers  he  was  obliged  to  acknowledge  prevented 
him  from  giving  attention,  and  the  subject  was 
delayed  to  another  time. 


414  IN   THE   SADDLE 


CHAPTER    XXXIV 

THE   RE-ENFORCEMENT   FOR   PLAIN   HILL 

It  was  not  strange  that  the  loyal  people  of 
Greeltop  were  grateful  to  their  deliverers.  Re- 
ports of  similar  occurrences  within  twenty  or 
thirty  miles  of  them  had  fully  informed  them 
of  the  nature  of  such  raids,  doubtless  with  many 
exaggerations ;  but  they  had  every  reason  to  ex- 
pect more  severe  treatment  than  most  other 
places,  for  the  residents  were  Unionists  to  a 
greater  extent  than  in  other  villages  in  that  sec- 
tion. The  magnate  was  an  intensely  loyal  citi- 
zen, and  he  had  largely  built  up  the  place. 

Colonel  Coffee  was  a  Kentuckian,  born  in  the 
county  where  be  now  lived ;  but  he  had  not 
amassed  his  million  there.  His  father  had  been 
a  planter,  and  left  a  moderate  fortune  to  his  chil- 
dren at  his  death.  With  his  share  the  colonel 
had  gone  to  New  York,  and  embarked  in  business, 
This  had  led  him  to  China,  where  he  had  made 


THE   RE-ENFOECEMENT  FOR   PLAIN   HILL      415 

his  million  when  he  was  fifty.  He  retired,  pur- 
chased the  plantation  which  had  been  his  father's, 
and  another.  He  built  the  elegant  mansion  where 
he  now  resided. 

His  partner,  equally  wealthy,  had  retired  at 
the  same  time,  and  had  purchased  another,  five 
miles  from  it.  He  had  married  the  sister  of  the 
colonel,  and  they  had  always  been  strong  friends. 
The  China  merchant  had  built  up  Greeltop,  and 
his  brother-in-law  had  done  the  same  for  Plain 
Hill.  Both  of  them  had  lived  on  the  other  side 
of  the  globe  a  large  portion  of  their  lives;  and 
when  they  saw  the  American  flag  at  the  port 
of  Hong-Kong,  it  meant  more  to  tHem  than  if 
they  had  seen  it  everj^  day  of  their  existence. 
One  of  the  effects  of  foreign  travel,  or  a  foreign 
residence,  is  to  make  American  citizens  love  their 
own  country  all  the  more. 

The  influence  of  these  two  men,  with  the 
liberal  expenditure  of  their  money,  had  built  up 
the  villages,  and  increased  the  population  of  the 
surrounding  region,  so  that  they  were  in  condition 
to  establish  a  city  government,  which  is  done 
on  a  small  number  of  inhabitants  in  the  South. 
This  was  the  substance  of  what  Colonel  Coffee 


416  IN   THE   SADDLE 

wished  to  tell  the  commander  of  the  squadron 
of  cavalry ;  especially  that  Mr.  Hasbrook,  the 
magnate   of   Plain    Hill,    was    his   brother-in-law. 

Both  of  them  were  loyal  men ;  and  their  ex- 
ample, as  well  as  their  positive  efforts,  had  kept 
alive  the  Union  sentiment  of  the  surroundings. 
This  loyalty  of  the  people  had  aroused  the  enmity 
of  the  Secessionists  of  the  neighboring  counties. 
They  were  in  especial  danger  when  the  guerillas 
and  partisan  hordes  began  their  work  of  pillage 
and  outrage. 

The  people  of  each  of  these  places  had  raised 
a  small  Home  Guard.  The  magnates  had  pro- 
vided them  with  excellent  arms,  and  they  served 
rather  as  a  police  than  as  a  military  body.  Most 
of  the  young  men  had  gone  into  the  army  on 
one  side  or  the  other ;  and  fifty  men  in  both  vil- 
lages was  the  most  they  could  organize.  For 
two  weeks  the  inhabitants  had  been  dreading  a 
raid  ;  and  day  aud  night  mounted  patrolmen  had 
surrounded  both  places.  Probably  the  existence 
of  the  body  of  Home  Guards  had  had  some  in- 
fluence in  preventing  an  assault. 

The  column  of  cavalrymen  reached  the  camp, 
and   the    prisoners    were    disposed    of.      Colonel 


THE   RE-ENFORCEMENT  FOR   PLAIN    HILL      417 

Coffee  was  very  anxious  to  obtain  further  infor- 
mation in  regard  to  the  raid  upon  Plain  Hill. 
Lieutenant  Blenks  was  in  charge  of  the  camp, 
with  only  ten  men ;  for  the  first  company  was 
not  far  distant,  and  there  was  no  considerable 
body  of  Confederate  troops  within  twenty-five 
miles  of  the  village,  according  to  the  best  infor- 
mation to  be  obtained. 

"What  do  you  know  about  this  attack  upon 
Plain  Hill,  Lieutenant?"  demanded  Major  Lyon, 
as  the  officer  saluted  him  on  his  arrival. 

"  Very  little,"  replied  the  lieutenant,  as  he  took 
a  paper  from  his  pocket,  and  handed  it  to  the 
commander.  "  This  note  was  brought  here  by 
a  negro,  Avho  had  run  his  horse  all  the  way, 
I  judged  by  the  looks  of  the  animal." 

"'The  enemy  are  down  upon  us — within  four 
miles  of  us.  —  Hasbrook,'  "  the  major  read  from 
the  paper,  which  was  not  a  sealed  letter.  "It  is 
addressed  to  you.  Colonel  Coffee,"  he  added,  as  he 
turned  it  over  and  saw  the  name  on  the  outside. 

"It  has  come  to  the  right  place,"  replied  the 
magnate. 

"Who  is  Hasbrook ?" asked  the  commander;  for 
he  had  not  yet  heard  the  story  of  Plain  Hill. 


418  IN   THE   SADDLE 

"  He  is  my  brother-in-law,  standing  in  about 
the  same  relation  to  Plain  Hill  that  I  do  to 
Greeltop." 

"The  negro  that  brought  the  paper  is  still 
here,"  said  the  lieutenant. 

The  man  was  sent  for  at  th6  request  of  the 
colonel.  Major  Lyon  directed  Captain  Gordon  to 
have  all  the  horses  fed,  and  to  let  the  men  have 
their  suppers  as  soon  as  possible.  Captain  Tru- 
man had  marched  with  nearly  the  whole  of  his 
company  half  an  hour  before,  and  must  be  near 
his  destination  by  this  time.  The  major  and  his 
companions  had  dismounted,  and  retii-ed  to  the 
headquarters  tent. 

"  It  is  you  who  have  brought  this  message,  is  it. 
Clover?"  asked  Colonel  Coffee,  as  the  man  was 
shown  into  the  tent  by  a  sentinel.  "  This  man 
is  Hasbrook's  steward,"  he  added,  turning  to  the 
commander. 

He  was  a  mulatto  of  rather  dark  shade,  was  well- 
dressed,  and  looked  like  an  intelligent  person. 

"  I  brought  the  paper,  sir,"  replied  Clover. 
'•  Mr.  Hasbrook  sent  me  over  with  it,  and  told 
me  to  carry  it  to  your  house ;  but  when  I  came 
to  this  camp  I  asked  the  soldier  in  front  about 


THE    HE-ENFORCEMENT  FOR    PLAIN    HILL      419 

it,  and  he  sent  for  the  officer.  When  I  found 
the  camp  was  of  a  Union  company,  I  asked  the 
captain  to  read  the  note,  and  he  did  so." 

"You  did  well.  Clover;  to  have  gone  to  my 
house  would  have  delayed  the  relief,"  added  the 
magnate. 

"The  company  started  off  at  full  gallop,  and 
I  stopped  to  see  you,"  continued  the  steAvard. 

"But  what  do  you  know  about  tlie  approach 
of  the  guerillas,  Clover?"  asked  the  colonel  im- 
patientl}*. 

"  I  don't  know  anything,  sir.  One  of  the 
Home  Guards  came  to  the  mansion  with  the  news 
that  the  gnerillas  were  coming,  and  he  sent  me 
off  with  the  best  horse  in  the  stable.  I  run  him 
all  the  way,  and  I  hope  I  have  not  hurt  him." 

"No  matter  if  you  have.  If  the  second  com- 
pany is  like  the  first,  they  will  bag  the  whole  of 
the  villains,"  said  the  colonel. 

"The  Home  Guard  were  all  mounted  and 
gathering  in  the  square  when  I  left.  They  said 
there  was  a  hundred  men  coming  down  on  the 
village,"  Clover  concluded. 

Major  Lyon  had  ordered  supper  for  his  party 
to  be  brought  to  his  tent.     It  was  camp-fare,  but 


420  IN   THE   SADDLE 

he  invited  the  colonel  and  the  clergyman  to  join 
him. 

"  Do  you  suppose  there  is  any  danger  of  an- 
other invasion  of  Greeltop  to-night  from  the  north, 
Colonel  Coffee  ?  "  asked  the  major,  as  the  party, 
including  Deck,  were  hastily  disposing  of  the  meal. 

"  Certainly  not.  I  am  of  the  opinion  that  the 
two  raids  upon  our  villages  were  planned  to  take 
place  at  the  same  time,  so  that  neither  of  them 
could  send  its  Home  Guard  to  the  assistance  of 
the  other.  Your  coming,  Major  Lyon,  was  most 
Opportune." 

"It  so  happens.  Dexter,  tell  Captain  Gordon 
to  detail  ten  men  from  his  company  to  remain  in 
the  camp  under  command  of  Lieutenant  Blenks, 
and  have  the  rest  of  his  men  ready  to  march 
as  soon  as  they  have  finished  their  supper,"  said 
Major  Lyon. 

"  Then  you  propose  to  go  to  Plain  Hill, 
Major?"  asked  the  colonel. 

"I  have  no  doubt  Captain  Truman  has  force 
enough  to  protect  the  place  ;  but  I  desire  to 
capture  as  many  of  the  ruffians  as  possible," 
replied  the  major.  "  Who  is  the  captain  of  your 
Home  Guard  ?  " 


THE   RE-ENFORCEMENT  FOR   PLAIN   HILL      421. 

"  I  am,"  replied  the  colonel  with  a  smile. 

"  Then  I  wish  you  would  order  them  to  this 
camp,  and  relieve  my  men  of  the  duty  of  guard- 
ing our  prisoners." 

"  It  shall  be  done  at  once.  Mr.  Elbroon,  will 
you  attend  to  this  matter?" 

"  Certainly.  Do  you  go  to  Plain  Hill,  Colonel  ?  " 
replied  the  clergyman. 

"I  desire  to  look  after  the  safety  of  my  sister 
and  her  children." 

"  And  I  need  the  assistance  of  the  colonel  to 
show  me  the  way,  and  point  out  the  localities 
in  the  town,"  added  the  major. 

Mr.  Elbroon  mounted  his  horse,  and  hastened  to 
the  armory  of  the  local  force.  The  first  company 
had  formed  in  the  parade.  Colonel  Coffee  had 
taken  a  fresh  horse  while  near  his  residence. 
The  commander  and  his  orderly  mounted  their 
horses. 

"  Lieutenant,"  said  the  major,  addressing  the 
officer  of  the  camp,  "it  is  remotely  possible  that 
this  place  may  be  attacked  in  my  absence  with 
the  company.  If  such  should  be  the  case,  you 
will  make  a  bonfire  on  the  knoll  the  other  side 
of   the   road,   and   I   think   we   shall   he   able    to 


•122  IN   THE   SADDLE 

see  it.  Have  it  ready  to  light  wlietlier  it  is 
needed  or  not." 

Tlie  horses  had  been  watered  and  fed,  and 
they  were  in  fair  condition,  though  they  had 
been  on  the  march  all  day.  The  commander 
led  off  at  a  smart  gallop,  and  the  company  kept 
up  with  him.  Life  Knox  was  in  temporary  com- 
inand  of  the  second  platoon.  The  column  moved 
too  rapidly  for  any  connected  conversation,  and  in 
lialf  an  hour  was  approaching  Plain  Hill. 

"  What  can  that  mean,  Colonel  ? "  asked  the 
major,  as  they  reached  the  top  of  a  hill,  where 
a  brilliant  light  suddenly  flashed  upon  them. 
"Can  it  be  that  the  ruffians  are  burning  the 
houses." 

"Possibly;  I  don't  know:  but  they  have  not 
yet  fired  Hasbrook's  mansion,  for  I  can  see  it 
on  the  top  of  Plain  Hill,"  replied  Colonel  Coffee  ; 
and  his  tones  indicated  the  anxiety  he  felt. 

"You  know  the  place,  and  perhaps  you  can 
tell  from  the  direction  where  the  fire  is  located," 
added  the  commander. 

"  It  appears  to  be  right  in  the  square." 

"  And  what  and  where  is  the  square  ?  " 

"  The  village  is  just  the  counterpart  of  Greel- 


THE    EE-ENFOUCEMENT  FOR    PLAIN    HILL      423 

top ;  for  Hasbrook  and  I  laid  it  out  together. 
You  can  see  his  mansion  on  the  top  of  the  hill. 
The  square  is  on  the  level  in  front  of  it,  with 
the  houses  all  around  it." 

"  Then  perhaps  they  are  burning  these  houses 
suggested  the  major. 

"  I  think  not.  There  is  not  volume  enougli  in 
the  blaze  for  a  burning  house,  much  less  for 
several  of  them." 

"  And  where  is  the  road  by  which  the  guerillas 
will  or  have  arrived  at  the  place  ?  " 

"It  comes  in  on  the  east  end  of  Plain  Hill, 
behind  Hasbrook's  house.  I  think  they  would 
burn  his  mansion  first;  but  they  cannot  approach 
it  in  the  rear  with  horses.  There  are  about  thirty 
men  in  the  Home  Guard  here,  and  there  will  be 
a  fight  before  any  houses  are  burned,"  said  the 
colonel  very  decidedly. 

The  column  descended  the  hill  from  which  the 
light  of  the  fire  had  been  seen,  and  dashed  up 
another,  which  brouo'ht  them  into  the  villaofe. 
Then  it  was  ascertained  that  a  bonfire  was  blazing 
in  the  square,  and  that  the  houses  were  all  safe. 

"  Who  comes  there  ?  "  demanded  a  man  with 
a  musket  in  his  hand,  as  the  company  reached  a 


424  IN  THE   SADDLE 

broad  avenue  which  appeared  to  be  the  principal 
street  of  the  village. 

"  Friends  !  "  returned  the  major. 

*'  Who  is  it  ?  "  demanded  the  colonel. 

"Walkall,"  replied  the  man,  who  evidently  rec- 
ognized the  magnate  of  Greeltop. 

"  All  right,  Walkall ;  this  is  another  company  of 
United  States  cavalry.      Where  are  the  enemy  ?  " 

"  Behind  Mr.  Hasbrook's  mansion.  They  have 
.halted  there ;  but  we  are  all  ready  for  them " 

"  Where  is  the  company  of  cavalry  which  must 
have  arrived  an  hour  or  two  since  ?  "  inquired  the 
major. 

"  I  don't  know  just  where  the  troopers  are  now ; 
we  turned  over  everything  to  Captain  Truman, 
and  he  is  managing  the  matter,"  replied  Walkall. 
"  He  stationed  me  here  to  report  if  an  enemy  came 
in  on  the  Greeltop  road." 

Captain  Gordon  had  been  ordered  to  halt  the 
company.  Deck  was  sent  with  the  sentinel  to 
find  the  captain  of  the  second  company,  and  the 
first  was  to  remain  at  the  corner.  They  followed 
the  road  leading  to  the  home  of  the  magnate, 
which  crossed  the  principal  avenue  of  the  village, 
and  came  to  another,  parallel  to  it,  along  the  rear 


THE   RE-ENFORCEMENT  FOP   PLAIN    HILL      425 

of  the  square.  At  this  point  they  were  chal- 
lenged ;  and  it  could  be  seen  by  the  light  of  tlie 
fire  that  sentinels  were  stationed  all  along  this 
street. 

"  Who  comes  there?  "  demanded  the  sentinel. 

"  Messenger  from  the  major  of  the  squadron, 
directed  to  find  Captain  Truman." 

"  Can't  pass  here,"  added  the  sentinel  decidedly. 

"  Where  is  Captain  Truman  ?  "  asked  Deck. 

"  I  don't  know  no  more'n  the  dead." 

At  this  moment  a  trooper  rode  up,  and  recog- 
nized the  messenger. 

"  All  right.  Deck  ;  you  can  pass,  but  the  other 
man  cannot,"  said  the  cavalryman,  when  he  had 
stated  his  business. 

Deck  thought  the  captain  had  adopted  some 
singular  strategy. 


426  IN  THE   SADDLE 


CHAPTER   XXXV 

SUREOUNDED  AND  TOTALLY  DEFEATED 

"What  does  all  this  mean,  Withers?"  asked 
Deck,  as  the  trooper  conducted  him  inside  of  the 
grounds  of  Mr.  Hasbrook. 

"  I  don't  know  anything  at  all  about  it ;  you 
must  ask  Captain  Truman,"  replied  Withers  with 
a  laugh.  "  He's  got  a  big  head,  and  I  reckon  he 
knows  what  he  is  about.  But  how  come  you  over 
here.  Deck  ?  " 

"  I  came  over  with  the  first  company ;  and  I 
have  a  message  for  Captain  Truman  from  Major 
Lyon." 

"  All  right ;  and  he  will  be  glad  to  see  you. 
1  He  will  not  let  a  single  person  come  up  the  hill, 
or  a  single  one  go  from  the  house.  He's  got 
some  strateg}^  on  his  brain." 

"•  Have  you  seen  the  enemy.  Withers  ?  " 

"  I  have  not ;  but  the  cap'n  appears  to  know 
jest  where  they  are." 


SURROUNDED  AND  TOTALLY  DEFEATED   427 

They  followed  the  handsome  driveway  up  a 
hill ;  and  the  light  of  the  bonfire  enabled  Deck  to 
get  a  view  of  the  surroundings.  When  they  had 
reached  an  elevation  of  about  fifty  feet,  the  sum- 
mit was  a  plain,  very  nearly  level,  in  the  middle 
of  which  stood  the  mansion.  This  was  evidently 
where  the  name  of  "  Plain  Hill "  came  from.  Be- 
fore the  door  of  the  house  was  a  mounted  sentinel, 
and  there  were  others  on  the  hill. 

The  elevation  was  sprinkled  over  with  large 
trees,  and  at  the  west  end  of  tlie  mansion  was  a 
considerable  grove  of  them.  In  front  of  this 
shady  place  there  were  two  sentinels. 

"Advance,  friends,  and  give  the  countersign." 

"  Barcreek,"  replied  Withers.  "  This  is  Deck 
Lyon,  with  a  message  from  the  major." 

One  of  the  sentinels  conducted  them  to  the 
heart  of  the  grove,  where  they  found  the  whole  of 
the  second  company.  The  arrival  of  the  mes- 
senger was  duly  reported  to  the  captain,  and  he 
was  ushered  into  his  presence.  He  was  seated  on 
his  horse,  ready  to  move  at  any  moment. 

"  Is  that  you,  Deck  ?  I  am  glad  to  see  you, 
though  this  visit  is  very  unexpected,"  said  he. 

"  The  first  company  is  down  at  the  avenue  in 


428  IN  THE   SADDLE 

front  of  the  square,  with  Major  Lyon,  who  desires 
a  report  from  you  in  regard  to  the  condition  of 
things  in  this  village,  and  especially  as  to  tlie 
locality  of  the  enemy,"  continued  the  orderly, 
delivering  the  substance  *of  his  message. 

"  Come  with  me,  Deck,  and  I  will  give  you  my 
report  verbally ;  for  I  cannot  see  to  wii^e,"  added 
the  captain,  as  he  led  the  orderly  to  the  south  side 
of  tlie  hill.  "  Do  you  see  that  little  knoll  not  fifty 
rods  from  us  ?  " 

"I  see  it." 

"It  is  covered  with  trees,  and  the  enemy  are 
concealed  among  them.  One  of  my  men  has  been 
over  there,  and  reports  about  seventy-five  guerillas, 
and  I  am  very  anxious  to  bag  the  Avhole  of  them." 

"  No  doubt  of  it,  as  we  did  the  other  company 
of  them." 

"  I  supposed  you  would ;  but  I  haven't  the 
news.  Just  now.  Deck,  this  company  in  front  of 
us  are  waiting  for  the  one  that  swooped  down  on 
Greeltop.  I  suppose  they  were  to  clean  out  that 
village,  and  then  come  over  here  and  finish  up 
this  one." 

"It  was  not  much  of  a  swoop;  and  we  have 
every  one  of  them,  from   Captain   Stinger  down 


SURROUNDED  AND  TOTALLY  DEFEATED   429 

to  the  vagabonds  who  followed  the  mounted  men 
on  foot,  Tinder  guard  at  the  camp.  But  how  do 
you  know  that  they  are  waiting  for  the  other 
gang,  Captain  ?  "  asked  Deck. 

"I  captured  a  messeil^er  of  the  leader  of  this 
horde,  scared  him  out  of  his  wits,  and  he  told 
me  all  about  it,"  replied  the  captain  Avith  a  smile. 
"  The  only  thing  that  I  am  afraid  of  now,  is  that 
the  leader  of  this  gang  will  not  bring  on  his  men, 
so  that  I  can  bag  them.  Mr.  Hasbrook,  who 
lives  in  this  house,  has  sent  down  for  some  one 
who  will  take  the  place  of  this  messenger,  and 
inform  the  captain  of  the  ruffians  that  a  force 
of  mounted  men  has  just  come  up  the  Greeltop 
road." 

"I  will  do  that  myself,"  replied  Deck  promptly. 

"  You,  Deck  !  "  exclaimed  the  captain. 

"  I  should  like  the  fun  of  it ;  and  I  could  not 
do  my  country  any  greater  service  than  in  helping 
out  the  capture  of  that  gang  of  ruffians. 

"  But  it  would  cost  you  your  life  if  you  were 
discovered.  They  would  hang  you  like  a  dog. 
No,  no.  Deck!  Your  father  would  never  forgive 
me  if  I  sent  you  on  such  a  perilous  mission." 

"  My   father   believes   that   I   ought  to  do  my 


430  IN  THE   SADDLE 

duty ;  and  I  believe  so  also.  Where  is  the  fellow 
you  captured?  I  might  borrow  his  clothes,  and 
they  wouldn't  know  me  from  Jeff  Davis  in  the 
dark.  Let  me  hear  the  fellow  speak,  and  I  can 
imitate  his  voice  ;  and  I  "^ill  promise  to  come  back 
all  right,"  pleaded  Deck,  who  was  very  anxious 
to  undertake  the  mission. 

"  No,  no.  Deck !  I  cannot  send  you  on  such 
an  errand.  I  gave  Mr.  Hasbrook  a  pass  to  go 
down  among  the  Home  Guards,  and  he  may 
find  a  man  to  do  the  business,"  said  the  cap- 
tain very  decidedly.  "If  he  does  not  find  some 
one  who  is  better  acquainted  with  this  vicinity 
than  you  arer  Deck,  we  will  look  the  matter 
over  again,  if  your  father  Avill  consent  that  you 
should  go." 

"  If  the  bagging  of  those  ragamuffins  depends 
upon  your  plan,  I  think  he  will  consent,"  added 
Deck. 

'*  But  you  must  return  to  your  father  with 
my  report,  and  I  will  explain  to  you  my  plan 
to  capture  the  enemy." 

When  he  had  done  so,  Deck  returned  to  the 
great  road,  and  reported  everything  to  the  com- 
mander, informing  him  why  the   movement  was 


STJEROUNDED   AND   TOTALLY  DEFEATED      431 

delayed.  He  stated  the  plan  of  the  captain  to 
send  a  man  disguised  as  the  messenger  or  spy 
of  Captain  Vinegold.  The  major  did  not  like 
the  plan,  and  utterly  refused  to  have  his  son 
undertake  such  an  enterprise. 

The  young  soldier  was  disappointed;  but  he 
did  not  rebel  against  the  decision  of  the  com- 
mander, who  was  also  his  father.  Later  in  his 
career,  when  he  had  a  couple  of  gold  bars  on 
his  shoulders,  he  rendered  some  important  service 
of  this  kind ;  for  he  was  even  more  fond  of  an 
adventure  than  the  average  boy. 

"  Colonel  Coffee,  is  there  any  other  road  than 
the  one  by  which  we  have  come  from  Greel- 
top  that  leads  to  the  south?"  asked  the  major, 
after  he  had  digested  the  report  sent  by  his 
son, 

"  There  is,  and  a  better  one  than  that  by  Avhich 
the  ruffians  came,"  replied  the  magnate.  "As 
nearly  as  I  can  make  it  out,  the  enemy  are  con- 
cealed not  more  than  half  a  mile  from  this  cross- 
road ;  but  5^ou  could  not  get  to  them  without 
going  at  least  three  miles." 

"  That  is  not  a  great  distance  for  mounted  men. 
Is  the  distance  about  three  miles  ?  " 


432  IN  THE   SADDLE 

"  It  will  not  vary  half  a  mile  from  it." 

"  Have  you  your  watch  with  you,  Dexter  ?  " 
asked  the  major. 

"  I  have,  sir ;  I  never  leave  it  in  the  baggage- 
wagons,"  replied  Deck. 

"  What  time  is  it  now  ?  "  continued  the  major, 
as  he  consulted  his  own  time-keeper. 

"  Ten  minutes  past  seven,"  answered  Deck, 
after  he  had  held  his  watch  up  so  that  he  could 
see  the  face  by  the  light  of  the  fire  in  the 
square. 

"  About  right.  How  long  will  it  take  you 
to  reach  the  spot  on  the  hill  where  the  second 
company  is  posted?  " 

"  Ten  minutes." 

The  major  had  taken  a  piece  of  paper  from 
his  pocket,  and  by  this  time  had  written  some- 
thing on  it  to  which  he  had  signed  his  name. 

"  Is  there  any  open  place  at  the  end  .  of  the 
hill  where  the  captain  is,  to  the  right  of  the 
grove  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know ;  I  did  not  look  about  me  much." 
replied  Deck. 

"  The  west  end  of  the  hill  is  a  bare  rock," 
interposed  Colonel  Coffee. 


SUEEOUNDED   AND   TOTALLY   DEFEATED      433 

"  On  this  paper  I  have  written,  '  Obey  the 
verbal  orders  sent  by  Dexter  Lyon.'  That  is 
all,  except  the  captain's  name  and  mine.  Tell 
Captain  Truman  to  prepare  a  fire,  a  large  fire, 
on  the  rock  at  the  west  end  of  the  hill,  ready 
to  light.  Can  the  enemy  see  what  he  is  doing. 
Colonel?" 

"Not  at  all;  the  fire  in  the  square  sends  no 
light  beyond  the  grove." 

"  In  precisely  thirty  minutes  from  the  time  you 
reach  the  top  of  the  hill,  Dexter,  tell  him  to 
march  upon  the  enemy,  leaving  a  man  to  light 
the  fire  ten  minutes  later.  Let  him  attack  them 
vigorously,"  said  the  commander.  "  Do  you  un- 
derstand it  all.  Dexter  ?  " 

"  Understood." 

"Then  hasten  to  the  hill." 

The  major  had  taken  the  colonel  and  his  son 
one  side  for  this  conference,  so  that  no  other  per- 
son should  know  anything  about  it.  Deck  ran  his 
horse ;  and  this  time  the  sentinel  did  not  stop  him, 
for  his  character  was  known.  As  a  last  word, 
his  father  had  directed  him  to  remain  with  the 
captain. 

Before  the  messenger  reached  the  hill,  the  com- 


434  IN   THE   SADDLE 

pany  was  moving  along  the  road  to  the  west,  with 
the  magnate  as  a  guide.  By  his  advice  the  com- 
pany marched  slowly  for  the  first  half-mile,  in 
order  to  avoid  making  any  noise  which  the  enemy 
could  hear.  Tlien  they  galloped  at  the  best  speed 
of  the  horses.  At  the  end  of  twenty  minutes 
they  were  near  the  knoll  on  which  the  guerillas 
were  concealed.  The  major  ordered  the  cap- 
tain to  halt  here,  and  they  waited  for  further 
events. 

They  had  not  long  to  wait,  for  the  fire  on  the 
rock  flashed  up  with  a  brilliant  light ;  and  it  was 
evident  that  Mr.  Hasbrook  had  assisted  in  prepar- 
ing the  fuel,  and  that  no  little  pitch  and  light 
wood  had  been  used.  Captain  Truman,  as  the 
illumination  indicated,  was  in  the  road,  and  march- 
ing to  the  south ;  while  the  first  company  had 
halted,  facing  to  the  north. 

"  Mr.  Hasbrook  must  have  robbed  his  woodshed 
of  most  of  its  contents,"  said  the  captain,  who  had 
taken  Deck  under  his  wing. 

"All  his  house  and  stable  servants  were  lugging 
wood  to  the  rock ;  and  they  must  have  piled  up 
about  a  cord  of  it,  Captain,"  replied  Deck. 

"  The   fire    not    only  serves    as   a  signal,   but 


SURROUNDED   AND   TOTALLY  DEFEATED      435 

it  gives  no  little  light  on  the  subject  before 
the  house,"  replied  the  officer. 

Skirmishers  had  been  sent  out  ahead.  The 
place  where  the  enemy  was  concealed  was  a 
wooded  knoll,  according  to  the  description  given 
of  it  by  a  scout;  and  by  the  light  of  the  huge 
bonfire  it  was  in  plain  sight.  Twenty  men  had 
been  sent  out  on  this  service  under  Sergeant 
Fronklyn.  When  he  came  near  enough,  he 
opened  fire  upon  the  knoll,  the  object  being  to 
draw  the  enemy  from  his  covert. 

"  The  fire  sheds  its  light  for  the  benefit  of 
the  enemy  as  well  as  for  our  side  of  the  ques- 
tion. Like  an  impartial  judge,  it  serves  both 
parties  alike,"  said  the  captain.  "  The  skirmishers 
will  bring  them  out,  and  that  is  all.  we  want.  So 
far  as  our  operations  are  concerned,  I  think  the 
enemy  must  be  in  perfect  darkness;  for  I  have 
not  permitted  a  single  one  of  the  town's  people  to 
come  this  side  of  the  square." 

"  They  have  waked  up  now,"  added  Deck,  as  a 
volley  of  musketry  came  out  of  the  grove  on  the 
knoll,  which  was  quite  near  the  road. 

"I  hope  they  will  not  recognize  the  uniforms  of 
the  skirmishers,"  continued  the  captain. 


436  IN   THE   SADDLE 

The  main  body  of  the  company  had  slowly  fol- 
lowed the  advance  all  the  time,  and  the  crisis  of 
the  affair  was  at  hand.  The  captain  reasoned 
that  the  guerillas  could  not  be  aware  of  the  com- 
bination made  by  the  major,  or  they  would  liave 
retired ;  and  they  were  likely  to  mistake  the  skir- 
mishers for  the  Home  Guards,  if  they  did  not  make 
out  the  uniform.  After  the  volley  from  the  knoll, 
the  enemy  made  a  sorlie  from  his  position,  and 
rushed  furiously  upon  the  assailants,  firing  at 
will  all  the  time. 

Captain  Truman  gave  the  order  for  his  men 
to  charge  the  foe ;  and  the  troopers  darted  ahead 
at  full  gallop.  They  could  see  the  uniforms  of 
the  skirmishers,  and  for  a  moment  there  was  a 
hot  hand-to-hand  fight,  for  the  enemy  were  plucky 
enough  for  the  occasion.  But  if  the  company 
could  distinguish  the  uniforms  of  the  skirmishers, 
so  also  could  the  enemy  by  this  time  ;  and  they 
could  see  that  the  road  between  them  and  the 
village  was  full  of  troopers. 

Major  Viuegold  could  not  help  seeing  that  he 
was  caught  in  a  trap,  and  his  bugle  sounded 
the  recall.  Doubtless  his  guerillas  saw  the  situa- 
tion also ;    for   they  were    not   slow   to   obey  the 


SUHROUNDED   AND   TOTALLY   DEFEATED      437 

signal.  They  detached  themselves  from  the  con- 
flict, and  retreated.  The  voice  of  Captain  Gor- 
don could  be  heard  above  the  din ;  and  the 
enemy  was  headed  to  the  south  at  a  gallop. 
Doubtless  the  guerilla  commander  was  astounded 
to  find  himself  confronted  by  a  company  of  cav- 
alry in  full  uniform,  instead  of  a  band  of  Home 
Guards. 

The  signal-fire  on  the  rock  of  Plain  Hill  had 
done  its  pei-fect  work,  and  the  first  company  had 
moved  forward  slowly,  with  skirmishers  in  front, 
and  soon  came  upon  the  retreating  enemy.  Cap- 
tain Gordon  charged  upon  them,  and  they  fought 
bravely  on  both  sides.  Doubtless  the  commander 
of  the  guerillas  was  appalled  when  he  discovered 
another  company  in  front  of  him.  Probably  he 
was  outnumbered  three  to  one.  He  fought  like 
a  tiger  himself,  but  his  men  began  to  break  into 
the  fields  on  either  side.  The  officers  soon  stop- 
ped this  means  of  escape  by  extending  their  lines 
entirely  around  their  hapless  foe. 

"Do  you  surrender ?  "  demanded  Captain  Tru- 
man. 

"  Never  !  "  yelled  Major  Vinegold,  in  front  of 
his  company. 


438  IN   THE   SADDLE 

Deck  dashed  at  him  as  he  made  this  emphatic 
reply,  and  their  sabres  flashed  fire.  Ceph  made 
one  of  his  furious  leaps,  and  the  commander  of 
the  enemy  sank  to  the  ground  ^s  his  rider  struck 
a  desperate  blow. 

"  We  surrender !  "  shouted  the  second  in  com- 
mand. 


MAJOR    VINEGOLD    OF   THE   GUERILLAS      439 


CHAPTER    XXXVI 

MAJOR,  VINEGOLD   OF   THE   GUERILLAS 

The  second  in  command  of  the  guerillas  was 
a  more  sensible  man  than  Major  Vinegold,  who 
appeared  to  be  a  fire-eater,  like  Captain  Stinger; 
and  when  resistance  was  utterly  hopeless,  he 
announced  his  surrender  in  a  voice  loud  enough 
to  be  heard  a  long  distance,  and  neither  side 
struck  a  blow  afterwards.  Deck  Lyon  appeared 
to  have  delivered  the  last  sabre-stroke ;  for  as 
soon  as  his  lieutenant  saw  his  chief  topple  from 
his  horse,  he  uttered  the  words  that  ended  the 
conflict. 

"  You  gave  the  finishing  touch  to  the  fight. 
Deck ! "  exclaimed  Captain  Truman  in  a  loud 
voice,  so  that  all  the  company  could  hear  him. 

"  Three  cheers  for  Deck  Lyon !  "  shouted  an 
enthusiastic  trooper ;  and  they  were  given. 

Of  course  Deck  blushed;  for  he  was  a  reason- 
ably modest  young  man.     He  had  not  made  up 


440  EST   THE   SADDLE 

his  mind  to  do  "  a  big  thing,"  but  simply  to  do 
his  duty ;  and  he  was  doing  it  like  any  other 
member  of  the  company  when  his  opportunit} 
was  presented  to  him.  Major  Vinegold  was  th^ 
bone  and  sinew  of  the  fight  on  his  own  side ; 
and  when  the  young  cavalryman  saw  him  dis- 
engaged for  the  moment,  he  urged  his  horse  for- 
ward to  cross  swords  with  the  commander. 

Ceph's  training  seemed  to  be  a  part  of  his  being ; 
and  when  he  was  pressed  up  to  him,  he  rose  on 
his  hind-legs  for  a  spring.  An  indifferent  rider 
could  not  have  kept  his  seat  in  the  saddle ;  but 
Deck  had  trained  himself  and  his  steed  to  the 
manceuvre,  and  each  supplemented  the  action  of 
the  other.  The  rider  leaned  forward,  grasping 
the  forward  horn  of  his  saddle  with  the  rein 
hand,  while  he  kept  his  sabre  in  readiness  for 
use  in  the  right.  In  the  present  instance, 
while  the  animal  was  in  this  flying  attitude. 
Deck  struck  at  the  head  of  his  adversary ;  and 
the  shock  carried  him  from  his  saddle  to  the 
ground. 

"  Ceph  deserves  three  cheers  quite  as  much  as 
or  more  than  I  do,"  said  the  young  rider,  while 
the  company  were  waiting  for  further  orders. 


MAJOR   VINEGOLD    OF   THE   GUERILLAS      441 

"  He  would  not  appreciate  the  compliment," 
replied  the  captain. 

"  Halloo,  Artie !  "  exclaimed  Deck,  as  his  brother 
dashed  into  the  presence  of  the  captain. 

"  Bully  for  you,  Deck!  We  heard  the  company 
cheering  you ;  what  mighty  deed  have  you  done 
now?"  demanded  the  messenger,  for  such  he  was, 
from  the  major,  as  he  saluted  Captain  Truman. 
"It  is  Major  Lyon's  order  that  you  proceed  to 
disarm  the  prisoners,  as  they  are  doing  on  the 
other  side." 

"Order  understood,"  replied  the  captain.  "You 
can  tell  the  major  that  Deck  gave  the  finishing 
touch  to  the  fight,  Artie  ;  "  and  he  described  the 
fall  of  Major  Vinegold,  and  the  immediate  sur- 
render that  followed. 

Artie  hastened  back  to  headquarters ;  and  the- 
captain  formed  the  guerillas  near  him  in  line,  and 
took  from  them  all  their  arms.  The  major  had 
ordered  a  large  fire  to  be  started  at  the  side  of 
the  road,  and  the  scene  was  already  well  lighted. 
The  prisoners  had  been  formed  in  line  in  the 
same  manner  on  the  south  end  of  the  battle- 
field, and  their  arms  taken  from  them.  On  the 
road,    and   beside   it,  seven   men   lay    silent    and 


442  IN   THE    SADDLE 

motionless ;  and  perhaps  there  were  others  on 
the  wooded  knolL 

The  squadron  had  not  had  a  man  killed,  though 
about  a  dozen  had  been  wounded ;  and  Dr.  Farn- 
wright  and  his  assistants  were  attending  to  them. 
Among  the  prisoners  the  men  were  binding  up  the 
wounds  of  each  other.  The  form  of  the  fire-eater 
commander  lay  where  he  had  fallen ;  and  Deck 
saw  him  move  as  he  was  about  to  report  to  the 
major.  He  felt  more  interest  in  this  man  than  in 
the  others ;  and  he  dismounted  from  his  horse. 

Ceph  was  as  fond  of  his  master  as  a  kitten  of 
the  child  that  pets  it;  and  there  was  no  need 
to  secure  him,  for  he  would  have  stood  there 
all  night.  Deck  was  even  more  devoted  to  him 
than  he  was  to  pretty  Miss  Kate  Belthorpe,  which 
is  saying  a  great  deal.  He  had  fed  him  on  dain- 
ties, and  made  him  his  constant  associate  in  the 
months  when  he  was  drilling.  Ceph  was  very 
intelligent,  and  seemed  to  understand  his  master's 
humor  as  thou2!"h  he  had  been  human. 

The  rider  went  to  the  fallen  guerilla.  He  was 
not  dead.  He  had  been  stunned,  and  was  just 
coming  to  his  senses.  By  the  light  of  the  fire  Deck 
could  see  that  his  head  was  covered  with  blood. 


MAJOR   VINEGOLD   OF   THE   GUERILLAS      443 

Looking  closer,  he  found  that  his  left  ear  had 
been  smitten  eiitfrely  from  the  side  of  his  head. 
The  sabre  appeared  to  have  struck  him  sideways, 
giving  the  blow  that  stunned  him,  and  then  glan- 
cing off  so  as  to  take  the  ear  with  it.  If  the  blade 
had  struck  him  fairly,  it  would  have  split  his  head 
open;  as  it  was,  his  brains  were  saved  at  the  ex- 
pense of  his  ear. 

"  How  do  you  feel.  Major  Vinegold  ? "  asked 
Deck  in  sympathetic  tones,  —  for  a  wounded  or 
dying  enemy  was  no  longer  a  foe  to  him,  —  as 
he  took  the  handkerchief  of  the  sufferer  from 
his  pocket  and  bound  it  over  his  head,  so  as 
to  cover  the  wound. 

"  I'm  better,  I  think,"  i-eplied  the  major,  as 
Deck  ■  assisted  him  to  sit  up.  "  Have  we  licked 
that  Home  Guard  ?  " 

"There  is  no  Home  Guard  here.  You  have  been 
fighting  with  a  squadron  of  United  States  cavalrj-, 
and  your  successor  in  command  has  surrendered." 

"  Strivers  is  a  coward !  " 

"  We  were  nearly  three  to  your  one  ;  and  your 
lieutenant  was  no  coward,  but  a  brave  fellow,  and 
a  sensible  man." 

"Who's  we?" 


444  IN  THE   SADDLE 

"  I  am  a  loyal  soldier,  and  the  one  that  gave 
you  your  wound,"  replied  Deck. 

"  You  !  "  exclaimed  the  major.  "  Then  what 
are  you  doing  with  me  now  ?  " 

"  I  am  trying  to  assist  you,  if  I  can.  I  have 
bound  up  your  wound,  and  our  surgeon  will  soon 
be  able  to  attend  to  your  case." 

"  Give  me  a  drink  of  brandy  out  of  your  flask," 
added  the  wounded  man  faintly. 

"  I  have  no  brandy ;  but  here  is  some  fresh 
water;  for  I  filled  my  canteen  at  Plain  Hill," 
answered  Deck,  as  he  presented  it  to  his  pa- 
tient. 

He  drank  freely ;  and  perhaps  it  did  as  much 
good  as  the  same  quantity  of  brandy  would  have 
done. 

"  I  feel  better  now,"  said  the  major,  as  Deck 
assisted  him  to  his  feet.     "  Where  is  my  horse  ?  " 

"  But  you  are  a  prisoner  now.  If  you  will  give 
me  your  sword  and  pistols,  it  will  save  you  from 
any  further  annoyance,"  replied  Deck. 

"  A  prisoner !  "  he  exclaimed  bitterly.  "  Strivers 
surrendered." 

"  To  three  times  his  own  force ;  and  he  could 
not  do  otherwise,"  added  the  Union  soldier  very 


MAJOR   VINEGOLD   OF   THE   GUEEILLAS      445 

gently.  "  He  would  have  murdered  his  own  men 
if  he  had  fought  any  longer." 

"  I  cannot  help  myself,"  continued  the  major,  as 
he  unbuckled  his  sword  and  gave  it  to  his  con- 
queror. "  I  did  not  do  it.  Strivers  did  it ;  and  I 
am  much  obliged  to  you,  young  man,  for  striking 
me  down  before  it  was  done." 

Dr.  Farn Wright  dressed  his  wound ;  Deck  found 
his  horse,  then  assisted  him  to  mount,  and  placed 
him  in  the  rank  with  the  other  prisoners.  The 
dead  were  ranged  in  a  field,  with  two  more  found 
on  the  wooded  knoll. 

"Well,  Dexter,  you  have  been  playing  the  hero 
again,  have  you  ? "  said  the  major,  when  he  rode 
that  way. 

"  Ceph  and  I  have  been  doing  our  duty,  and 
Major  Vinegold  is  the  sufferer,  father.  I  couldn't 
help  doing  what  I  did,"  replied  Deck. 

"  And  he  ended  the  fight !  "  exclaimed  Cap- 
tain Truman  with  enthusiasm.  "  If  he  had  his 
proper  reward  he  would  be  made  a  captain  on  the 
spot." 

"  A  captain  at  eighteen !  "  exclaimed  the  major, 
who  was  somewhat  conservative  in  his  ideas. 
"  There  is  no  authority  here  to  make  him  a  cap- 


446  IN  THE   SADDLE 

tain,  even  if  it  were  desirable,  as  I  think  it  is  not. 
Don't  spoil  the  boy,  Captain  Truman." 

While  they  were  waiting  for  the  arrangements 
for  the  march  to  be  completed,  Deck  told  his 
father  about  his  interview  with  the  fallen  leader 
of  the  guerillas;  and  it  ended  in  introducing  the 
major  to  him. 

"  I  am  sorry  you  are  wounded,  my  friend,"  said 
the  commander. 

"Why  do  you  call  me  your  friend?"  asked  the 
prisoner,  apparently  astonished.  "  You  are  not 
just  our  idea  of  the  Yankees." 

"  On  the  battle-field  we  are  enemies,  and  we  do 
our  best  to  kill  each  other;  but  here  we  are  friends, 
and  we  do  what  we  can  to  save  each  other.  I  am 
glad  my  son  assisted  you." 

"  He  is  the  one-eared  man's  friend  for  life,  ex- 
cept on  tl  i  battle-field,  though  he  struck  off  that 
ear." 

It  was  quite  evident  that  he  was  not  such  a  fire- 
eater  as  Captain  Stinger.  But  the  column  was 
ready  to  move.  It  was  but  a  short  distance  to  the 
village  ;  and  when  they  arrived  there,  they  found 
the  fire  in  the  square  burning  even  more  vigor- 
ously,  and   all   the   houses   lighted.     They    were 


MAJOR   VINEGOLD   OF   THE   GUERILLAS      447 

received  with  tremendous  cheers,  in  which  the 
Lidies  joined,  while  they  flourished  their  handker- 
chiefs in  the  absence  of  so  many  of  the  male 
population. 

The  news  of  the  battle  and  victory  had  been 
brought  to  the  village  by  Colonel  Coffee ;  and 
the  two  magnates  had  provided  a  bountiful  colla- 
tion for  the  soldiers,  though  it  was  in  the  small 
hours  of  the  night.  The  troopers  were  petted 
by  the  ladies,  and  Deck  was  a  hero  of  the  first 
magnitude.  The  work  of  the  day  and  night  was 
finished,  and  the  people  and  the  soldiers  slept 
after  their  fatigues,  while  a  poition  of  the  Home 
Guards  guarded  the  approaches  to  the  place. 

The  prisoners  were  marched  under  a  strong 
guard  to  a  railroad  town,  and  sent  to  Louisville. 
All  was  quiet  at  Greeltop  and  Plain  Hill,  and 
no  further  attempt  was  made  to  molest  these 
places.  The  discipline  administered  to  the  gueril- 
las was  severe  enough  to  put  an  end  to  their 
operations  in  that  part  of  the  State.  The  squad- 
ron remained  three  weeks  in  camp  at  Greeltop, 
occasionally  sending  out  detachments  where  they 
were  needed. 

Later  in  the  year  it  was  ordered  to  Munford- 


448  IN  THE   SADDLE 

ville,  where  a  sharp  little  battle  was  fought,  in 
which  the  Riverlawn  Cavalry  had  an  opportunity 
to  meet  again  the  old  enemies,  the  Texan  Rangers. 
It  was  while  at  this  place  that  a  huge  envelope 
came  by  special  messenger,  with  other  orders, 
directed  to  "  Mr.  Dexter  Lyon,  Care  of  Major 
Noah  Lyon."  His  father  gave  it  to  him,  and 
Deck  opened  it,  wondering  with  all  his  might 
what  it  could  contain.  It  was  a  lieutenant's 
commission,  and  the  recipient  would  not  have 
been  more  astonished  if  the  sky  had  fallen  upon 
him. 

The  two  captains  in  the  squadron  had  been  the 
principal  movers  in  obtaining  the  commission. 
They  had  a  paper  recommending  it  signed  by 
every  member  of  the  first  company ;  but  the 
business  had  been  done  while  the  command  was 
waiting  at  Greeltop,  fearful  that  Major  Lyon 
would  veto  or  discountenance  the  measure  for 
family  reasons,  or  because  he  thought  his  son 
was  too  young  to  be  "  A  Lieutenant  at  Eighteen." 
With  the  commission  came  a  furlough  for  two 
weeks,  to  enable  him  to  prepare  for  his  new 
duties. 

Deck   was   astonished   and   confounded  to  find 


MAJOR   VINEGOLD   OF   THE   GUERILLAS      449 

himself  an  officer;  for  he  had  never  sought  such 
a  position,  and  honestly  and  sincerely  believed 
that  he  had  done  only  his  duty,  like  every  other 
private  in  tlie  ranks.  He  was  overwhelmed  with 
congratulations  by  the  members  of  both  com- 
panies, and  especially  by  the  two  captains. 

"  It  hasn't  come  any  sooner  than  I  expected  it, 
Deck,"  said  Life  Knox,  as  he  grasped  the  hand  of 
the  young  cavalryman. 

"I  don't  think  I  have  deserved  it,"  protested 
the  recipient  of  the  commission. 

"Ask  Miss  Kate  Belthorpe,"  chuckled  the 
Kentuckian,  par  excellence. 

"  She  is  not  a  military  character,  and  don'^  un- 
derstand the  matter,"  replied  Deck  with  a  very 
heavy  blush. 

"  She  stuck  to't  that  you  ought  to  been  made 
cap'n  o'  the  fust  company.  I  didn't  think  so 
then,  but  I  think  you  ought  to  be  made  a  lieu- 
tenant as  you  have  been." 

"  I  don't  see  why  I  was  selected  for  this  place  ; 
for  I  am  appointed  second  lieutenant  of  the  first 
company,  in  place  of  poor  Gilder." 

"Everybody  else  can  see  it  if  you  can't.  Who 
brought   Major  Vinegold   to   the   ground?     Who 


450  nsr  the  saddle 

served  Lieutenant  Makepeace  in  tlie  same  way  ? 
And"  — 

"  Ceph  !  "  exclaimed  Deck.  "  Don't  say  any- 
thing more  about  it,  and  Ave  will  call  it  square ; " 
but  the  tall  and  Aviry  cavalry  sergeant  was  as 
fond  of  Deck  as  though  he  had  been  his  own 
son. 

The  young  lieutenant  procured  his  uniform  at 
Munfordville ;  and  when  he  put  it  on,  the  whole 
of  both  companies  cheered  him,  and  the  ladies 
declared  that  he  was  the  handsomest  officer  in  the 
squadron,  -which  was,  perhaps,  saying  much,  for 
Captain  Gordon  was  a  remarkably  good-looking 
man. 

Deck  was  going  home  for  a  part  of  his  furlough  ; 
for  his  father  Avished  him  to  do  so.  He  talked 
Avith  his  son  full  two  hours  before  his  departure, 
giving  him  instructions  about  the  plantation,  and 
especially  about  the  family  of  Captain  Titus  Lyon, 
then  a  prisoner  somewhere. 

Of  course  his  mother  and  sisters  were  extremely 
glad  to  see  him,  and  were  prouder  of  his  uni- 
form than  he  was  himself.  Levi  Bedford  actually 
luigged  him ;  and  the  fifty-one  negroes  treated 
him   as  thousrh  he  had  been  an  ancjel  from  the 


MAJOR   VINEGOLD   OF   THE   GUERILLAS      451 

realms  of  bliss.  Orly  Lyon  still  desired  to  join 
the  Riverlawn  Cavalry ;  and  even  Sandy  had  been 
so  far  cured  of  his  Secession  tendencies  as  to  be  of 
the  same  mind, 

Mrs.  Noah  had  provided  for  the  family  of  her 
husband's  brother.  She  consented,  in  the  absence 
of  her  husband,  that  her  boys  should  enlist  on  the 
right  side.  The  major  had  sent  money  for  her  to 
return  to  her  father  in  New  Hampshire,  if  she  still 
•  desired  to  go  there.  When  Lieutenant  Lj'on  re- 
turned to  Munfordville,  Sandy  and  Orly  went 
with  him,  Avearing  the  uniform  of  the  squadron. 

Durinof  his  absence  the  command  had  been 
ordered  to  Somerset ;  and  about  a  month  later 
had  their  first  experience  in  a  considerable  battle 
at  Mill  Spring.  But  our  story  for  the  present  is 
told  ;  and  another  volume  will  relate  the  experi- 
ence of  Deck  as  an  officer.  His  service  was  not 
confined  to  his  duty  in  command  of  a  platoon,  but 
an  abundant  opportunity  was  given  him  to  gratify 
to  some  extent  his  inborn  desire  for  stirring  ad- 
venture in  the  service  of  his  country,  as  will  be 
found  in  "A  Lieutenant  at  Eighteen." 


OLIVER   OPTICS  BOOKS 


All-Over-The-World  Library 

Illustrated    Per  Volume  S1.35 


FIRST   SERIES 

A  MISSING  MILLION  or  The  Adventures  of  Louis  Belgrave 

A  MILLIONAIRE  AT  SIXTEEN  or  The  Cruise  of  the  Guardian  iftorrn  / 
A  YOUNG  KNIGHT  ERRANT  or  Cruising  in  the  West  Indies 
STRANGE  SIGHTS  ABROAD  or  A  Voyage  in  European  Waters 


SECOND    SERIES 

THE  AMERICAN  BOYS  AFLOAT  or  Cruising  in  the  Orient 
THE  YOUNG  NAVIGATORS  or  The  Foreign  Cruise  of  the  Maud 
UP  AND  DOWN  THE  NILE  or  Young  Adventurers  In  Africa 
ASIATIC  BREEZES  or  Students  on  the  Wing  (in  press) 


"  The  bare  announcement  of  a  new  series  of  books  by  Oliver  Optic  will 
delight  boys  all  over  the  country.  When  they  farther  learn  that  their 
favorite  author  proposes  to  '  personally  conduct '  his  army  of  readers  on 
a  grand  tour  of  the  world,  there  will  be  a  terrible  scramble  for  excursion 
tickets  —  that  is,  the  opening  volume  of  the  '  Globe  Trotting  Series.'  Of 
one  thing  the  boys  may  be  dead  sure,  it  will  be  no  tame,  humdrum  jour- 
ney, for  Oliver  Optic  does  not  believe  that  fun  and  excitement  are 
injurious  to  boys,  but,  on  the  contrary,  if  of  the  right  kind  he  thinks  it 
does  them  good.  Louis  Belgrave  is  a  fortunate  lad,  because,  at  the  age 
of  sixteen,  he  was  the  possessor  of  a  cool  million  of  dollars.  No  one,  not 
even  a  young  boy,  can  travel  without  money,  as  our  author  well  knows, 
therefore  he  at  once  provided  a  liberal  supply.  Louis  is  a  fine  young 
fellow  with  good  principles  and  honor,  so  he  can  be  trusted  to  spend  his 
million  wisely.  But  he  does  not  have  entirely  smooth  sailing.  In  the 
first  place  he  has  a  rascally  step-father  whom  he  had  to  subjugate,  a  dear 
mother  to  protect  and  care  for,  and  the  missing  million  to  find  before  he 
could  commence  his  delightful  travels.  They  are  all  accomplished  at 
last,  and  there  was  plenty  of  excitement  and  brave  exploits  in  the  doing 
of  them,  as  the  boy  readers  will  find.  The  cover  design  shows  many 
things — a  globe,  the  Eiffel  tower,  mountains,  seas,  rivers,  castles  and 
other  things  Louis  will  see  on  his  travels. —  Currtnt  Review, 


LEE  AND  SHEPARD  Publishers  Boston 


OLIVER   OPTICS  BOOKS. 


THE  BLUE  AND  THE  GRAY 

Illustrated.     "With  Ktnblematic  Dies.     £ach  volume  bound  in 
Blae  and  Gray.    Per  volume,  $1.6U. 


AFLOAT 


TAKEN  BY  THE  ENEMY  ON  THE  BLOCKADE 

WITHIN  THE  ENEMY'S  LINES        STAND  BY  THE  UNION 
A  VICTORIOUS  UNION  FIGHTING  FOR  THE  RIGHT 


ON  LAND 

BROTHER  AGAINST  BROTHER 

IN  THE  SADDLE 

A  LIEUTENANT  AT  EIGHTEEN 

Other  volumes  in  preparation 


The  opening  of  a  new  series  of  boolcs  from  the  pen  of  Oliver  Optic 
is  bound  to  arouse  the  highest  anticipation  in  the  minds  of  boy  and  girl 
readers.  Tliere  never  has  been  a  more  interesting  writer  in  the  field  of 
juvenile  literature  than  Mr.  W.  T.  Adams,  who  under  his  well-known 
pseuilonym,  is  known  and  admired  by  every  boy  and  girl  in  the  country, 
and  by  thousands  who  have  long  since  passed  the  boundaries  of  youth, 
yet  who  remember  with  pleasure  the  genial,  interesting  pen  that  did  so 
much  to  interest,  instriict  and  entertain  their  younger  years.  The  pres- 
ent volume  opens  "  The  Blue  and  the  Gray  Series,"  a  title  that  is  suiH- 
ciently  indicative  of  the  nature  and  spirit  of  the  series,  of  which  the  first 
volume  is  now  presented,  while  the  name  of  Oliver  Optic  is  sufficient 
warrant  of  the  absorbing  style  of  narrative.  "  Taken  by  ihe  Enemy," 
the  first  book  of  the  series,  is  as  bright  and  entertaining  as  any  work  that 
Ml.  Adams  bas  yet  put  forth,  and  will  be  as  eagerly  perused  as  any  that 
has  borne  his  name.  It  would  not  be  fair  to  the  prospective  reader  to 
deprive  him  of  the  zest  which  comes  from  the  unexpected,  by  entering 
into  a  synopsis  of  the  story.  A  word,  however,  should  be  said  in  regard 
to  the  beauty  and  appropriateness  of  the  binding,  which  makes  it  a  most 
attractive  volume.—  Boston  Budget. 

"  Taken  by  the  Enemy"  has  just  come  from  the  press,  an  annoniice- 
■ment  that  cannot  but  appeal  to  every  healthy  boy  from  ten  to  fifteen 
years  of  age  in  the  country.  "  No  writer  of  the  present  day,"  says  the 
Boston  Commonweal tb ,  "  whose  aim  has  been  to  hit  the  boyish  heart,  has 
been  as  successful  as  Oliver  Optic.  There  is  a  period  in  the  life  of  every 
youth,  just  about  the  time  that  he  is  collecting  postage-stamps,  and 
before  his  legs  are  long  enough  for  a  bicycle,  when  he  has  the  Oliver 
Optic  fever.  He  catches  it  by  reading  a  few  stray  pages  somewhere,  and 
then  there  is  nothing  for  it  but  to  let  the  matter'take  its  course.  Relief 
comes  only  when  the  last  page  of  the  last  book  is  read  ;  and  then  there 
are  relapses  whenever  a  new  book  appears  until  one  is  safely  on  through 
the  teens."  — Literary  News. 


RARE  BOOK 
COLLECTION 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT 

CHAPEL  HILL 

Wilmer 
14 


